


Out of Control

by truelyesoteric



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 14:33:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 41,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/610875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truelyesoteric/pseuds/truelyesoteric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared Padalecki and his inner circle work hard and play harder, everybody in the territory knows it. Everybody in all the neighboring territories knows it. Everybody knows that he is groomed to be head of the Pack, and he's poised to take over. Jared's father is waiting, though. Waiting to see what Jared will do about his brother, about the neighboring rowdy Pack, about a mate...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of Control

**  
PART I  
**

 

When the Cub Pack entered the club, everyone knew it. The music sped up and the flashing lights got more vibrant, but the atmosphere seemed to get heavy.

There were six of them; all Alphas. 

They were tall, commanding, and good looking. Even those who didn’t know who they were, were drawn to them. They walked with purpose, as if they owned the world.

Chad, Katie, Sophia, Hartley, and Misha followed Jared and people parted, everyone stared with open lust, and moving to the beats of the music, hoping that their swaying bodies would attract the attention of the Pack.

The Cub Pack brought problems, but on nights when they would show up, liquor would flow and people would line up around the block.

“Drinks,” Jared said with out looking at anything but the fine array of flesh before him.

He was the center. The son of the Leader of the Padalecki Pack. The heir apparent. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t have; he knew it and so did everyone else. Before the night was over, he would have whatever he wanted from this room.

Whatever he wanted.

From the time his father’s eyes had settled on him, hand clasped on his shoulder, the pack had fallen over themselves to satisfy his needs.

For years he had drank of excess like a starving man and there was always more.

That excess had stopped exciting him, even as he continued to indulge.

Chad went to get the drinks. He always did. He had learned to follow Jared’s orders because doing what needed to be done meant that he could do or say whatever he wanted. He was Jared’s right hand. 

The club was an old church, high ceilings and wood beams contrasting with the activities within the walls. The lights were blue and red, making everyone writhing on the floor, the ‘Sanctuary’, look alien. 

The Cub Pack strode into the VIP lounge, the Annex. They walked the stairs up to the balcony. It was their place, and nobody entered their space without an invitation. 

They were all well aware that they were on display as they looked out over the balcony. 

They wouldn’t have it any other way.

Usually they watched until they found something pretty. There were humans down there who were clueless, wanted the Alphas so badly it hurt, not knowing why. There were Betas who wanted a look, a night. Occasionally there were Alphas wanting to be mated, but more than satisfied with being bred.

Everyone would be satisfied with a moment of attention, whatever they could get.

Hartley usually had collected two or three girls by the time they were in the lounge. He was the one wearing expensive things; His watch cost more than most people made in a year. He was always the one throwing money around. He was tall, blonde, and usually was the one who got them in trouble. He could talk and think circles around everybody.

Misha liked to lean back and let the girls flock to him; he was the Cub Pack’s eyes and ears. He saw and remembered everything. In private, he was the one who could give a very accurate, almost cutting to the bone assessment of anyone they had come in contact with. 

Katie and Sophia were the loud ones, more dangerous than most. They were Alpha females, sharp and vicious. They were nearing thirty and had rebuffed most men and all Alphas. They knew no matter how strong they were, how much power they welded, bearing pups would be their first responsibility, and they were far too selfish for that. They wanted this life and were determined to keep it.

You didn’t want to fuck with any of the six.

Chad returned by Jared’s side. Jared sat in the middle looking down at the world. 

One day all the territory would be his.

Tonight this room was his.

“Them,” Jared said and it was as if a shudder went through the club. The people on the floor looked up, they knew who they were, what they were wanted for.

The girl was tall and leggy with a ridiculously short shirt. She was on Jared’s lap with his fingers rubbing between her legs within minutes.

She was needy and desperate and Jared once fed off of that energy. Now it seemed a little pathetic to him.

They used to walk in laughing, calling out to people that they knew. Katie and Sophia used to dance on the floor, mixing with the mortals. They used to be a part of this world instead of ruling it. It was a fine distinction, but there were things going on, the wariness had made the Cub Pack insulate against the world, to pull into themselves.

It made everybody want them even more.

Jared had a girl in his lap and a lanky guy on his knees mouthing along his cock in his pants. The girl was mewling as Jared’s fingers fucked her, the smell of her orgasm coming into the room. The guy was looking up, eyes rimmed in kohl, begging for permission to unbuckle Jared’s pants.

Jared nodded. Then he looked out into the club. He would fuck them both in full view of everyone. 

He was electric and edgy and he would fuck to calm that, drink to numb that, and be aware that this was meaningless and it wasn’t enough for him any more.

He had sired pups, so his lineage was secure. He had the blessing so his future was sure. He wanted for nothing. Everything was set. 

Everything was even more precarious.

His father was waning and his brother was sullenly eyeing the head of the pack.

The pressure had scared away carefree days.

The obscene orgy of his life was a front as he settled into his place.

He looked out at the club, hazel eyes hard and impassive. He watched the bodies flow to the beat of the music, everyone was touching, everyone was vibrant and alive. He would call them all and they would burn around his cock, beg for more.

But none of them was enough for him. He was reaching full power and he was finding none of them was remotely interesting to him for more than tonight. A lone wolf leader wasn’t unheard of, but his father still held hope.

He was beginning to think that nobody ever would fit him.

His lips curled into a sharp smile and the wolf sung in his veins. 

He was the strongest thing in this room. It was enough. He could be enough.

He patted the head of the guy blowing him, then pushed him out of the way. They girl on his lap was almost done, she was soaking wet and she was already pulsing around his cock. The guy licked his lips, Jared tilted his head, they both knew that he would be next. The guy was already palming his own cock through his pants, ready.

He was enough, he had to be.

**

Jared was comfortable anywhere in the territory, and he’d never been beyond. There was no need. He knew the terrain in the territory, and in the last few years he had learned comfort in the office. 

He had never worked in the office often before he was selected, but after he had shown command at the human side of things as much as the wolf. The Pack lived side by side with the humans, but the pack owned much in the territory, always keeping an edge over the humans. Jared had been hungry to know it all.

Gerald Padalecki was old and grizzled, white hair gleaming on his tall shoulders. He had inherited leader and kept it with brute strength, deadly cunning, and when failing, sheer force of will. He was considered a good leader, strong and fair.

He had shown Jared all of his secrets, he had patiently taught him the business and how to deal with the pack in ever changing times. Hartley had been quicker to absorb the business and as Jared’s sub-pack began to show adeptness, Gerald had taken them in too. A true leader needed a trusted team.

Jared had excelled, and they all knew it was close to time when Gerald was going to go to the Elders. They didn’t call it retirement or exile, he was just going to go to a better place.

But he stayed, until he felt Jared was up for all of it.

Jared didn’t know what his father was waiting for, but he trusted his father.

Their boardroom was set up to intimidate, to show anyone would had come into the Padalecki arena who was boss. On the Padalecki side, the chairs were slightly bigger, the table rounding so that the Padalecki Heads were a little more intimidating.

It hadn’t failed yet.

Jared was by his father’s side in the boardroom. Jared looked straight ahead; he knew exactly where his people were.

Misha, the one who knew diplomacy best, was on his father’s other side with Hartley who knew the business best, Chad by Jared’s side. Katie and Sophia were sitting on the far side, knowing the meat of interactions. Jared wasn’t too proud to admit that his people were better at their areas than him, he depended on them and he was able to pull everything together evenly. 

It was almost time. Everyone knew it. 

Jared’s father looked at him with the assumed arrogance and pride that he has always had for Jared. Jared looked back at him, as if they were going to start laughing at a joke at somebody else’s expense.

Jared wasn’t the only progeny of Gerald Padalecki, but there had never been any other choice for Gerald. Something that older brother Jeff hadn’t liked. He had been almost surprised that Jared had been chosen, but he really was the only one who was. He hadn’t been happy to find this out. It caused some problems, to put it lightly. It was still causing some problems, that on a day very soon Jared was going to have to deal with.

Jeff had been born first by six years. He had always assumed that he would have everything. Jared had grown up without pressure and very competitive. Anything that he brother had done he did much better. By the time he was thirteen to everyone but Jeff Padalecki it was clear who was going to be next in line.

When Jeff had found out he called Jared out. Jared had soundly beaten him. Jeff had gotten up off the dirt after that fight and snarled that he wasn’t done. He underhandedly had been nipping at Jared since then. Attempts on Jared’s life had happened twice, attempts at ruining Jared and the Cub Pack’s deals were common, and Jeff was getting better at it.

The embassy from the Ackles came in. Jared eyed them, as this was his first meeting with them from the table. Gerald had kept him focused on internal matters and only peripherally was Jared aware of the pacts that held between other Packs. Everyone in the room knew that Gerald was introducing him as a precursor to succession. This was the big time.

The Ackles sat on the other side.

Jared remembered them from when he was young, but hadn’t seen them in years.

The Patriarch Alan and the chosen future Josh sat at the center. They were the ones that Jared should be paying attention to. However Jensen Ackles, the second son walked in the room and Jared couldn’t look away.

Jensen was poised and buttoned down and for the life of him Jared had no idea what the instant draw to him was. His face was pretty, but Jared knew plenty of pretty. 

Jensen walked in the room and Jared was hyper aware of him. His father had been talking for a few minutes before Jared metaphorically rolled up his tongue and attempted to listen to the meeting.

They observed the formality and Jared just smiled at it. it was quaint to him, unnecessary, but it felt good that it was being observed.

His eyes wandered to Jensen again. Jensen Ackles in his dark blue suit. Jensen Ackles with his green eyes firmly focused on whoever was speaking, as if their words held all the secrets to life. 

Jared knew his place, that he had nothing to say, that he was supposed to listen.

But he wanted to say something just so Jensen Ackles would look at him with that poise and intensity.

Conversations started, both hashing out detail. The Ackles had money and power and their thumb on the pulse of the humans. The Padalecki’s had the strength and were respected in other packs. Their partnership worked well for both.

Jared really wanted to pay attention, but the details were details and a little mind numbing. It didn’t help that he could smell Jensen, could hear every move of his muscles as he shifted in his chair, could almost feel the heat coming off of Jensen’s skin.

His eyes lingered on Jensen; Jensen Ackles had grown up.

Boy oh boy, Jensen Ackles had grown up. 

They had met as children, back when these meetings were less of a formality and more of a necessity. They had been left often on his father’s compound and expected to play. Jared had been short and chubby, not showing the markers of leadership. Jensen had been smart and athletic, and he had never let Jared forget it. Jared had hated him, but his thoughts were changing a little on that front. He was a little dizzy, something that others in the room could probably smell wafting off him, but not something he cared about now.

Jared knew that he wasn’t the same kid, but something had happened to Jensen. The goofy ears, duck lips, and the girly eyes had settled a bit and looked down right appetizing amongst his cheekbones and freckles. He didn’t look like a pretty boy anymore, he was a mouth watering man. 

There was more, there was something about his presence. He looked quiet, strong and unmovable, sitting there in his suit. He vibrated with something unleashed under the forced stillness. It made Jared want to see what happened when Jensen wasn’t quiet. There were whispers of cracks under the perfect Jensen exterior; Jared stared at him as if that would reveal what was in Jensen.

This analyzing took his mind from the meeting, one he should be aware of, he figured it was okay, that is why he had the Cub Pack. So he kept staring.

This was the epicenter of the peace of five generations, there were only Alphas in this room. This room was the center of the two most powerful packs in the Northern Hemisphere.

Green eyes never looked up at him, although Jared fell into just staring. Jensen kept right at his job. Those long fingers flexing over the pen, lips bitten in concentration.

Jared knew what it took to resist him.

He smiled at the thought of how hard it must be for Jensen right now, how hard all of him would be.

“Cut it,” his father growled, low, but they were all wolves under the skin, they all could hear it clearly.

Jared pressed his lips together and bowed his head before he could stop it, but he steadied himself. It was because his father was still his Alpha, he always would be. He had been reprimanded like a child, but he wouldn’t sulk like one. 

When he looked up those green eyes found him for the first time. Jared steadied his face to be impassive, but those eyes looked at him, without fear, just cold, telegraphing him how much he didn’t care for Jared. 

There was nothing in that look that didn’t do lots of things for Jared. 

Jared’s father looked between them, his great mind already going a million miles an hour.

“Maybe Jensen should stay to finalize,” Gerald finally said, almost as an afterthought.

Jensen looked up, enraged.

Alan looked between the two boys. “I think he should.”

Jensen looked at his father with an icy glare, because they all knew what had just been offered and been accepted. They had just thrown Jensen down as a peace treaty. They had just thrown him at Jared.

The stormy look on Jensen’s face showed just how much he wasn’t pleased to be a cog in the continued peace between the two.

Jared leaned back. This was a bucket of ice water on his lusty mood. Jared didn’t want to court anyone. He felt a visceral urge towards Jensen, but he wasn’t thinking about mating the bully of his youth.

He knew from the whispers that there was something ‘wrong’ with Jensen. For a long time there was talk about Jensen, talk of his strength, of his mind. People said that he was as impressive as it got. 

But Josh had been chosen to inherit and Jensen was sitting at the table that would be his brother’s. Whatever the reasons were for not picking Jensen, they were probably the reasons that Jared wouldn’t want to mate him. Jared only had people he could trust in his inner circle.

But Jared’s eyes ran over the wonderfully freckled skin of Jensen Ackles.

He had felt on edge, going through the day-to-day familiar. 

Something like Jensen Ackles would definitely take a whole lot of the edge off.

**

After the meeting, they exited to the lobby. There were a few private discussions that had to be had before they could leave.

Jared was leaning against the wall, watching Jensen speak angrily to his father. Jared was really appreciating the view, amused at Jensen’s discomfort; he always found that distress showed who you really were.

Apparently Jensen was a little bit of a force to be reckoned with.

The rest of the Pack had disbanded. Sophia and Katie knew better than to be around him when his pheromones were like this. Hartley and Misha had actual business to do for the running of the pack. Chad was sent off to get Jensen’s rooms ready.

Jensen was going to be given his own bungalow, something Jared really hoped was for show. He kind of had ideas where Jensen could stay for his limited time.

It was his father who came up to him, face dark.

“If you have it in you,” his father told him, almost menacingly. “That would be ideal for a mate. He’s strong and a second. He would be the kind to stand by your side, I’ve seen him fight and his dedication is amazing. He’s got brains. I know you are wanting to be all lone wolf leader, but if you think that you ever will this is the one that you will want.”

“Why wasn’t he chosen?” Jared asked.

Gerald raised an eyebrow. “You know that kind of thing doesn’t go outside of the inner circle.”

“There has to be something wrong with him,” Jared said with a shrug. “I mean I’ll show him a good time, but don’t make me waste my time.”

“Try keeping it your pants,” his father ordered. “Get to know him before you fuck him. Stop thinking that you know every goddamned thing. How the hell are you going to run this place? A real leader knows how watch until he sees what is really there before making a decision.”

Jared let out a little puppy whine, something that only his father would ever hear.

“Please,” his father said on the edge of patience.

Jared pulled himself together for a second. He respected his father enough.

Then he looked at Jensen, who was glaring at him. This situation seemed a whole lot less amusing than a moment before.

Gerald walked away and Jared stood there waiting. He came over with a stormy look on his face.

Jared just let Jensen looking at him wash over him. The stood poised, reading each other, looking for footing.

Jared figured that Jensen would be one for diplomacy and short replies.

He was wrong.

“I’m going to be here two months,” Jensen informed him, leaning in close, taking in his scent. “But I’m going to leave still mine. I’m not going to be your bitch. I have no doubt that I’ll probably end up in your bed, but you will have to order me there. If you want to fuck me, the only way that is happening is if you make me.”

The conscious thought faded and instinct and emotion took over. 

Jared growled and jumped towards him, pinning him against the wall, not touching, just scenting him.

Then Jared leaned down and whispered hot in his ear. “You are going to come willingly.”

Jensen’s breath was ragged.

“You are going to beg for my cock,” Jared growled, his wolf so close, feeling nothing but the animal. “I’m going to fuck you like a bitch.”

The hit came so fast Jared was on the ground, looking up at stars and Jensen.

Jensen looked calm and composed.

“I don’t see that happening,” he said and walked away.

**

Jared had picked himself off the floor and attempted to gather his dignity before going to where his people were waiting outside the building.

They were there, as expected.

“He’s making us wait?” Hartley asked, leaning against the Humvee. Katie and Sophia were standing with him, watching Jared, to see what his reaction was. They all were tense, waiting to follow Jared’s lead on this.

Misha stood next to Jared silently. This was uncharted water, to see Jared not get what he wanted automatically. They were all fascinated. They had known him since birth, taken their first steps together, and knew everything. Something new in Jared was something interesting.

Jared gave a lazy grin and put on his sunglasses.

Hartley chewed his gum and grinned. “This. This is going to be fun.”

Jared turned towards Misha. “How do I play this?”

They all knew that Misha could read people to get what they wanted. They just didn’t know if their games would work today. They had all heard Jared state that he was going to be a lone wolf Leader. They all hoped better, but they didn’t know if they would see the day. They all were thinking that that day may be soon, if they could keep this in check. They were all wondering if Jensen would be the ‘enough’ that Jared was looking for. He had never reacted so instantly interested in anyone.

Misha shrugged. “What is your end game?”

“Him. Willingly,” Jared replied.

Misha looked up at him. Jared crossed his arms; Misha was consistently the one person who never blew smoke up his ass.

“You’ll be maintaining Alpha status in the relationship?” Misha continued, steadying his expression.

“Of course,” Jared said.

“He’s not going to be forced,” Misha said after a moment of thought. “Be indifferent. Make him want you.”

They all knew that maybe that would keep Jared from fucking him right away, so that he could maybe figure out what was going on before he ruined it.

“Incoming,” Hartley said, noticing Jensen exiting the elevators.

Misha shifted his conversation to pretend that they weren’t plotting about Jensen’s ass. “On the east side there is some trouble brewing….”

Jared interrupted with a laugh. “Hi Jensen, ready to come?”

None of the Cub Pack changed expression with the terminology; they didn’t even know if Jared had realized it. Jensen did and blanched.

Jensen shifted his bags, stance defiant. “I thought I’d just get a hotel.”

Katie snorted, that was not going to happen.

“You’re of the Ackles bloodline,” Misha said evenly. “It is only right that you stay with the Padalecki bloodline.”

Jensen looked like he was about to say ‘hell to the fucking no.’

Hartley threw an arm around his shoulders, pulled him to the cars and talked quickly enough so that Jensen would just give up hope at ever getting a word in edgewise. “Welcome, our casa es su casa. It is actually a compound. You will have a guesthouse of your own. We all live on the compound. Meet the team. Katie and Sophia are gorgeous, but if you touch either of them, they will probably cut off your dick. Misha knows everything if you have any questions. I talk and Chad, who is at the compound, does. We all live together and play together and for the next two months we are going to have fun.”

Jensen looked over at Jared who was listening to something that Misha was whispering in his ear.

“I’m driving this beast,” Hartley continued, watching Jensen carefully as he caressed the Humvee. “Katie is driving the other. Sophia and Misha are in that one so you should probably come with Jared and me.”

Hartley kept talking on and on, but Jensen stopped listening and stared at the ground. Jared stayed with Misha for an inordinate amount of time. Jensen was aware of Jared every second.

Hartley kept talking until Jensen was shifting on his feet anxiously.

But he waited quietly, nodding respectfully to Hartley until after what felt like an eternity, Jared got in Hartley’s Humvee. Misha got in the other one, phone already attached to his ear.

**

Jensen sat in the backseat listening to Hartley tell Jared things, some of it was unimportant, but sprinkled in there was things about the territory. Jensen pricked his ears at those, he wanted to ask questions, but Jensen got the impression that he was being ignored.

Minutes ago Jared had been streaming so many pheromones at him that he was getting dizzy. Hitting the future leader of the Padalecki clan wasn’t the brightest thing in the world, but he just couldn’t think with Jared Padalecki in his face, breathing on him.

It was a close thing if he was going to smash Jared’s face in or take him up on his offer and start begging right there.

He sat in the back seat and seethed at what his life was, what it had become. He was the little peace treaty bitch. He would pretend, but he wasn’t going to like it.

Jensen knew that was why his father had chosen Josh. Jensen was stronger and smarter, but his father knew that Jensen was holding himself in control. He was just too stiff. Growing up, he had some lapses. Other wolves had hit some soft spot, some insecurity. He had woken up more than once or twice, mouth still circled with dried blood, fingernails caked with it. 

He was Jensen, and he was the wolf, but he was never both. He knew this was the reason he was kept under watch. He knew this was the reason that his father hadn’t chosen him and why Jared wouldn’t either.

Control wasn’t something that he was, it was just something that he had to claw to hold on to and that wasn’t what a leader needed to be. 

Adding insult to injury, Jensen was sore that he was being offered to little Jared Padalecki like a tribute. Jensen was more than a little pissed off that the pup he used to kick around for show turned out to be everything that he wanted to be and he was supposed to be the adoring submissive.

He seethed until the car stopped. He was going to be a pain in the ass because he did not want to be here. He knew this wasn’t him, but his wolf and his person were fighting and he wanted nothing to do with either of them.

“Welcome to the compound,” Hartley said.

Jensen looked up and there was a large house, surrounded by five smaller houses. In the middle was a stretch of grass and a large pool. Beyond the houses was a long stretch of flat land.

The main house had huge glass windows, the beginnings of the sunset glinting off the surface. It was simple, classic, and fit with the landscape. These were not words that he expected to associate with Jared Padalecki, but his house was perfect.

The slightly smaller houses that formed a perimeter around the central courtyard and pool were similar architecture; there were even flowers around the houses. Jared had called it home and it wasn’t the huge mansion that Jensen had grown up in, with its sprawling wings, but Jensen was struck by how much like home that it seemed.

Jensen saw it and was able to get out of himself enough to be impressed. 

It was on the edge of the empty grasslands. Jensen’s mouth went dry at the urge to run, not to run away, but to just run into it, to be part of the landscape.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jared said. 

Jensen jumped. He hadn’t even heard Jared, but there he was, the words flowing up his skin and creating goosebumps.

“We’ll go for a run tonight,” Jared said in a vaguely hypnotic voice. “We will call on our animals and just run until we can’t breathe.”

Jensen closed his eyes, because Jared was calling for him to bring everything out. Jared was reading his mind. Jared knew what the wolf wanted. Jensen didn’t speak; because that wasn’t something he wanted to show anyone.

“Jared,” Misha said. “You have a call.”

Jared was gone again and Jensen felt like he could breathe again. Like he could put everything back in a proper order.

Chad came up beside him after a few beats. 

“You’re in Sophia’s house, she and Katie are going to bunk up,” Chad said, steering him towards one of the houses.

Jensen was lead to one of the bungalows, Chad chatting on about the house and making lists for the housekeeper of what he needed for his stay. Jensen was having trouble with worrying about toothpaste at this moment with all the hormones pumping through his body.

“Do you want the number for the ‘personal’ service?” Chad asked out of the blue.

Jensen just looked at him.

“They send over guys or girls or whatever you like,” Chad said. “You know for working out tension. Seems like you have some tension you need working out.”

Jensen looked for the crazy on his face, he was quite sure that he was losing his mind. Jared had flipped his switch and now his people were offering him hookers.

“I’ll be fine,” Jensen said in a clipped tone, looking at the door to the house. He wanted to escape the flipped up world he had been dropped in. 

Chad gave him a smile and walked away.

**

“And then I offered him the hooker service,” Chad said, giggling hysterically.

Misha patted the tips of his fingers together. “We should so get one of those.”

Katie and Sophia were laughing.

“I wonder how soon Jared would feed you your balls if you did that,” Hartley pondered.

“Dude I’d be a eunuch before I could say ‘what hookers’? Chad muttered.

Hartley craned his neck again so he could see out the window. “Show time.” 

The girls and Chad scurried to the window.

“Remind me again why I don’t fuck him?” Sophia sighed, one hand coming to rub against the curve of her breast. 

Katie’s fingers joined hers. “He is one well built man.”

They watched as Jared did laps in the pool.

Completely nude.

“His cock is pretty awesome,” Misha said.

They all looked to where he was sitting.

Misha noticed they were looking at him. 

“So I’ve heard,” Misha said with that smile that you never knew if he had heard it or if it was experience. They didn’t talk about who had or had not had Jared.

Misha smiled at them and waved to the window, they all looked back at Jared’s powerful body slicing through the water, it flowed over his muscled back as those long legs kicked, making little splashes.

“I give Jensen ten minutes,” Chad said, staring.

“You’re drooling,” Hartley informed him. “And Jensen seems to be made of tough stuff.”

“What are the terms?” Sophia purred as Katie’s hand slipped under her shirt. “We’re so betting on this.”

**

Jensen was well aware what Jared was doing, swimming naked in the sunset, color gleaming off his tan skin as he skinned through the water.

That man could move as if he had invented it.

Jensen knew that he was being taunted with the very firm and nice ass that was Jared Padalecki.

He knew what this was and he wasn’t going to cave.

However, if Jared wished to put himself on display, he wasn’t going suffer with a stiff upper lip. Jensen could appreciate it even if he weren’t going to be fucked by that absurdly large man.

Jensen wrapped his hand around his cock and watched the sure confident strokes and matched them. He was almost there when Jared pushed himself out of the pool, muscles flexing, water cascading down his body as he emerged from the water.

Jared exited the pool, body catching the last strains of the sunset.. Jensen got a great full frontal view of Jared. Jared was half hard and Jensen had to grip himself at the sight.

It was then that Jared looked up at the window, those hazel eyes knowing exactly what he was doing.

Jensen came with a moan that he had no doubt Jared’s ears picked up.

**

Jared came out of the shower to find Katie on his bed, long legs and short shorts and a plaid button down that really didn’t button down very far.

She sniffed a little when he came out of the bathroom and grinned.

“You smell sexy,” she said in a bored voice and for all the world he was sure that she knew what he was doing while Jared was swimming.

“You don’t look like we’re going out,” Jensen said, taking the casual route and rubbing his hair with a towel, before turning to find clothes and underwear. He decided if this group was going to try like hell to make him turned on and uncomfortable, then he wasn’t gong to play the blushing prude. He was made of bigger stuff than that

She got a little smile on her face that was a little sinister, her eyes raked up and down his body. There was a little bit of appreciation in there too..

“Such a pity. If only he wouldn’t kill me for touching,” she muttered and then shrugged and the bored look came over her face once more. “We don’t go out on the full moon nights.”

Jensen raised an eyebrow.

“It’s Jared’s thing,” she shrugged. “We eat barbeque. We run. Be there.”

Jensen raised an eyebrow as she flounced out.

He reached for a pair of pants and a t-shirt, feeling a little grateful that he wasn’t going to be urged to be an entourage of the Cub Pack on the first night. He knew about their evenings out, but it would be nice to get to know them without watching them fucking something first.

Because that is what this group did. 

They were flawless at the head of Padalecki Enterprises, but they ripped up the town with the parties, with the carousing, with the wild life that they led. That was what he was expecting. That is what all the rumors said.

Jensen walked out to a very different scene, they were all half dressed, like a wet dream. They were all running around - Hartley and Katie had squirt guns while Sophia and Chad were trying to get the squirt guns. They looked young and carefree.

Which Jensen thought to be a lie.

He exited the house and watched them.

“Nobody sees this,” a voice said behind him. Jensen didn’t jump, just tried to stay still and not react. The voice belonged to Jared who was very close. Close enough that his words were dusting Jensen’s neck.

Jensen just stood there looking at the courtyard, not responding.

“For twenty-five days we work like dogs and party like wild animals, but on the full moon, on those days when the wolf is loudest under our skins, we let ourselves abandon the urges of our flesh and be what we really are.”

Jensen bit back a moan, but he was not going to turn dammit. In his mind’s eye, Jared was still naked, and Jensen didn’t want to find the truth of the thought. They stood like that, breaths coming slowly, keyed up under their skin.

He felt Jared step forward.

He could feel Jared move closer; the heat of his skin ghosting over Jensen’s, creating a fire. The hitch in Jared’s breath let Jensen know he wasn’t the only one to feel something between them.

“I want to touch you so badly,” Jared told him, voice raw.

Jensen closed his eyes, fighting the need to beg for Jared to do that and never stop. He was an Alpha. He was third, only behind his brother and his father. But he swore that he never was going to beg, never going to be a bitch. He was an Alpha, just like the six other people in this place. He wasn’t going to bow. He belonged at their side, not on his knees

“Food is ready,” Misha yelled to them and the moment was shattered.

Jared moved away and didn’t look back. Jensen turned around finally to watch the man go. Jared was dressed in board shorts and a wife beater. Jensen took a deep breath, realizing that he had been holding it all that time.

Jensen stared and waited long enough before walking towards the food so that it wouldn’t seem like he was following Jared. 

They came down and all sat by the fire, each grabbing plates of burgers and ribs, making messes of themselves as night fell.

Jensen just listened, learning them. They spoke in clips and phrases, built on a long association. They were equals here, where no one could see them. Jensen felt like an outsider; he knew that this was the core and that he wasn’t part of it.

Misha came over with another hamburger and Hartley gave Jensen a beer. Chad idly shot him with a squirt gun, to which he growled and everybody else laughed. 

It took Jensen a moment to realize that they were giving him a chance.

Jensen remained silent but not sullen, not sure if he wanted any of it.

As the moon rose, the conversation began to wane, and each of them began to look to the horizon. Then they looked towards Jared.

Jared sat back, more calmly than Jensen thought should be allowed. Jensen was beginning to feel the edge of something that he couldn’t describe. He was antsy and itching. He was always surrounded by houses, by buildings, by people, but here it was a wide stretch of land. He didn’t feel constrained and he wanted to let loose.

Jared finally stood up and stripped off his shirt; this time it was nothing sexual.

“Let’s go,” he said, and almost in a blink he was changing, fur taking over his bronzed skin. The rest of the group excitedly stripped and almost instantly changed into the forms that had just been waiting under the surface. 

Jensen followed, without thinking about it.

Soon they were seven wolves, taking across the dry Texas land, puffs of smoke flying as they ate up the ground, giddy and free.

Jensen-wolf ran to the front, to find Jared-wolf. Jensen-wolf ran so fast it looked like racing, but he was challenging Jared, pushing him to run faster. The two of them were running flat out with miles of earth to push themselves as the heavy moon watched.

Jensen-wolf’s lungs burned, his muscles ached, but he didn’t care, running by Jared-wolf’s side was the most freedom that he had ever felt. For some reason letting go now was undeniable.

Jensen-wolf felt the prickle of the intruders before he saw them. Jared-wolf slowed and Jensen-wolf stopped just before him. 

Five wolves came upon them. Jensen-wolf growled low in his throat, standing before Jared-wolf and the others. Jensen-wolf lunged into the crowd while Jared-wolf stood his ground and watched as Jensen-wolf snapped at them, his jaws biting down on a leg that didn’t move away fast enough.

The wolf changed into a man, but Jensen-wolf didn’t let up his bite.

“Padalecki, call off your boy,” Chambers growled and whimpered.

Jensen-wolf felt a hand at the scruff of his furry neck. 

“Down, Jensen,” Jared said, standing tall and naked next to Jensen’s wolf form. 

Jensen-wolf immediately released his leg and Jared patted his head. Jensen-wolf didn’t take his eyes off the other wolves, but he leaned into the touch.

The man on the ground glared up at Jared.

“Good little bitch you got there,” Chambers said snidely.

Jared clamped down on Jensen-wolf’s neck just as he lunged. Jensen-wolf growled, but Jared held him still.

“Get you and your wolves out of our territory,” Jared said calmly, voice boiling under the surface with anger. “Or I will let him take you all on and tear you the fuck apart.”

Chambers made a face and Jared let go of Jensen-wolf just a little. He lunged forward, snarling. Chambers stood up and lifted his hands in the air.

Jensen felt the rest of Jared’s pack arrive and they shifted into humans, standing behind Jared. Jensen stayed in his wolf form and growled. He was too animal to change; he stood between Jared and the intruders.

The Cub Pack watched as Chamber’s eyes went to behind Jared, looking at the naked flesh.

Jensen-wolf growled again.

Chambers nodded to his pack and the crew of them left.

Jared let his grip go, but kept his hand on Jensen-wolf’s neck. Jensen-wolf stood there, watching them leave. Jared didn’t turn to the people behind him as he spoke.

“Go,” he said solemnly.

He knew that they would be gone without a word.

Jared swallowed and looked down at the wolf before him who was still standing, hair bristling. He knelt down and forced the wolf’s eyes to his.

For a bit they sat there, neither looking away. Jensen-wolf let out a little growl.

“Change,” Jared said as soothingly as he could.

The wolf whimpered and huffed, but Jensen slowly emerged from his fur. Jensen looked up at him defiantly.

They sat there naked under the full moon and the stars, the only thing around was a long stretch of flat land.

Jensen was breathing hard.

“Are you in control?” Jared asked evenly.

Jensen felt the rage, felt the anger, all of it was at Jared. He couldn’t stand that a kid four years younger than him was telling him something about control, this kid had control in spades and Jensen seethed and hated him for it.

“On your knees,” Jared said firmly.

Jensen glared, not even his brother or father never asked him this, and they were the only ones who he respected enough to consider it for.

Jared took his chin and his voice came out a command. “Kneel.”

Jensen couldn’t stop himself from sinking to his knees before the magnificently naked Jared Padalecki. 

Jared may have been a child when Jensen had seen him last, but now he was everything a leader, an Alpha, should be and Jensen ‘s blood was pounding. He was having trouble remembering why he didn’t start begging there and then.

“You’re in my house,” Jared said, voice pitched low. “I wanted you there because I wanted to show you exactly who I am. I remember you from when we were kids. You were always the one kicking sand in my face. I was so happy that you weren’t chosen. You are stronger than Joshua, word is that your smarts are beyond my guys. I wondered why your father didn’t choose you. But perfection is a lie, isn’t it? Your perfection is there only because you can’t be anything else. Because you don’t want everybody to know you are on a knife’s edge.”

Jensen tried to look down, but Jared pushed his chin up.

“I still want to fuck you, and I still want you to beg for it,” Jared said firmly. “But you don’t need to fall apart under my dick. You could so easily fall apart at any give time; I’ve seen it tonight. You need a tether and now I want to fuck you more. I want to bind you up and make you listen to my voice, as if it is the only thing that ties you to this world. I want my voice to be the one that you respond to. I want to bind you up, tie you around, and be in you.”

Jensen whimpered as he knelt in the dirt, looking up at the long stretch of Jared’s naked skin gleaming in the moonlight.

“You have two choices,” Jared said huskily. “You can stay and there is a really good chance you’ll beg for me by the end of the week. Or you can leave and keep your illusions.”

Jared stretched, preparing to change. “If you run fast enough you’ll be in your territory by dawn.”

Jensen didn’t move a muscle.

“Choose a path,” Jared said, stretching to change again. “And run that way.”

**

 

PART II

**

 

Jensen stood in the open air for a long time. He was trying to calm everything that had come alive inside him; everything that was dangerous for him.

He wanted to submit to Jared at, so badly. It itched under his skin, the wanting. But he couldn’t do that; he couldn’t fall apart and trust anyone else to build him up again.

Jared was good;, he had read him after a few hours. Some people had never sussed what was under Jensen’s well-constructed exterior. He had always tried to be what people had expected.

That was becoming the hard part in this situation. Everyone wanted him in Jared’s bed, but nobody was asking him what _he_ wanted. Not just what his body craved, but what he _wanted_.

His father had told him, after Jensen chewed him out, that he had to make this work. The Padalecki’s were the only reason that the family had been left alone. The Ackles had grown soft in their luxury in the city while the Padalecki’s had managed to maintain everything in their suburban metropolis sprawl. To stay esteemed in the other wolves of the community’s eyes, they needed the Padalecki’s.

Jensen was to ensure that his family was still bound to the Padalecki’s. The Ackles had the money to placate the humans, but the other packs reacted to power.

Jensen was to keep the peace by any means necessary. 

Jensen had planned to keep this _thing_ just business. If he had to delve into the exchange of bodily fluids, he would, but he wasn’t going to get himself involved. 

But by Jared’s dirty mouth, he was undone on that promise. Just running side-by-side, pushing, he had felt alive. There was a thrill in just the few hours that he had been with Jared that he had never felt before. He didn’t feel reckless and crazy with Jared; he felt like he could actually be everything, man and wolf.

But he wasn’t a toy. He wouldn’t be a bitch to be put outside with the trash. He’d rather be ostracized, to be packless, than to let somebody treat him like that.

And that is when he realized the advantage of what Jared wasn’t offering.

He could put mate or nothing on the table.

Jensen closed his eyes.

He thought long and hard. The body. The power. _That_ is what called to him. 

The mate thing meant that Jared would see inside Jensen. He would see the carefully controlled mess. It was the nature of mating.

He knew that it was true, the reason his father hadn’t chosen him. Because he rarely had friends. Because he always was sniffing on the outside. Because letting anyone in would mean that they could see how much he wasn’t worthy. 

Jensen breathed in the cool night air and he knew. To be honest, he knew from the moment he had felt Jared Padalecki’s eyes on him.

He knew he could offer what was expected of him. Just as much as he knew it wouldn’t be taken.

He knew how to run this. He could show Jared it all, and he was pretty sure that Jared would realize that he really was damaged, and Jared would ask him to leave, not matter how much Jared wanted to fuck him.

All Jensen had to do was put on the table what Jared couldn’t possibly want, the real him for life, and in two months they could part and this would be nothing but a memory. Jensen could go back to his city, to his dark where things were glossy and the wolf would be placated.

The plan knit together neatly in his head and Jensen smiled.

He was ready, burning hot words of Jared Padalecki be damned.

**

“Princess,” a chipper voice said, plopping down on his bed. “You came back to me.”

Jensen was bone tired. He had gotten back to Jared’s compound at dawn.

The owner of the chipper voice prodded him with sharp toes of shoes.

“You’ve gotta get up. We’re working on a take over and Jared was told that you’re good at that kind of thing,” the voice said, ignoring his lack of response. “We have a meeting to start finalizing and you’re now lead.”

Jensen popped his head up. “You want me to take the lead of something I have no idea about?” 

Sophia was there, dressed for business, everything in place, the exact opposite of the pack’s wildness last night. Her face showed that she did indeed expect him to go into the office and perform miracles.

“Seriously, are you insane?” Jensen said grumpily.

“You have until noon to catch up, no biggie,” Sophia said idly, holding out a cup of delicious smelling coffee. “But we have to go into the office in like fifteen minutes. “Then tonight we have a meet up with the Chambers crew, and by proxy the Baldwin Pack. They are one of our semi-sub-packs and they’re getting very cocky. We don’t like it much. So get moving, there is a day to do, hop to it.”

“When do you sleep?” Jensen grumbled, sipping his coffee.

“The rest of us had four hours, and that’s usually enough,” Sophia said with a smile, standing up and straightening her skirt. “Jared likes the best, and the five of us are the best. We’re the only ones who could keep up with him, too bad it doesn’t look like you can.”

Jensen said up, with a look he conveyed who had been keeping up, if not surpassing Jared last night. 

“So why don’t I just be incompetent and then I can go home?” Jensen bit out, moving to get up, trying to pretend that his nakedness in front of her didn’t bother him.

“You can try,” Sophia said, leaving the room. “How good are you at failure?”

Jensen went to the bathroom to brush his teeth; the answer was that he was terrible at failure. He hated it. He would do anything not to fail. He clawed away at any challenge not to fail, it seemed all of Jared’s people could read him well.

“Hurry up, pookey,” Sophia said and left the bungalow. 

There was a suit on the bathroom door, apparently special ordered seeing as he didn’t actually have more than one day’s change of clothes. He was sure this suit would fit like a glove and he knew from just a touch that it was of the top quality.

He quickly washed and put on deodorant. He was more than presentable in less than ten minutes and was sipping the last of his coffee by the Humvees when the rest of Jared’s crew came out of their houses.

Jared came out last, one minute before the time to leave. He was wearing a suit, looking perfect and smooth as sin. Jensen calmly sipped his coffee, not reacting to the sight. Jared’s eyes danced with approval, not at all surprised that Jensen was there.

 

**

Jensen hated everything about life right now. He had been put in a beautiful corner office, not that he had a chance to look out the window, and he had four hours to download a million things. This had to be a test and Padalecki was a sadistic bastard. Jensen was not going to let him win. He could do impossible.

“Ready?,” Jared asked, appearing at his door with a smirk.

Jensen happily hated him.

Jensen gathered the plan in his head and then stood up and straightened. He could smell Jared, spicy and tinged with sweat. That was something that he wasn’t used to, something raw that was new, and entirely welcome. That smell was the same thing that had him on his knees last night; it was the same thing he was damned sure that he was going to start begging for any second.

He held himself in check by a tiny sliver, because loosing control was his greatest fear. Especially right now.

“You’re an idiot,” Jensen said, following him to the elevator. “Do you always give impossible tasks to the guys you want to fuck?”

Jared shrugged. “You’re supposed to be good, so I might as well use you for something else until you put out.”

“I’m beginning to think that you want me for my mind,” Jensen told him.

“I don’t,” Jared said, leaning into Jensen’s space.

Jensen looked up at him calmly. “Too bad. You will.” 

**

The ride up was longer than Jared ever remembered it being. He could smell Jensen, still smelling a little like last night, sweat and dirt under the clean clothes. It was just a whiff, but it reminded Jared that there was a lot more to Jensen.

He swallowed, his mouth watering.

The door opened and Jared just watched Jensen walk out. It was a pretty sight. He didn’t know what Jensen’s words had meant, but it sounded very intriguing. Jensen was being cocky, which in Jared’s experience just lead to some epic failures. 

He was a minute into the meeting when he realized how wrong he was.

For the next two hours, Jared was in hell. 

Jensen stood in front of the room, calm and in control, never breaking, and never sounding like he had only be preparing for four hours. He sounded like he had conceptualized and created this deal, instead of having been given a dead bird and told that he had to make it fly. Jensen was Dr. Frankenstein. 

More than that, he was enthralling like Jared had never known.

Every eye in the room followed him. Jared knew that the humans couldn’t smell the waves of power coming off of Jensen, but Jared wanted to kill each and every one of them for getting to be in the same room as Jensen when he was being this charming and sure.

Part of Jared was surprised at the visceral reaction; he had never quite had one like this before. Jensen was covered head to toe in conservative clothing and he was droning on about corporate things and Jared couldn’t listen to him. All he could do was watch as Jensen held the people in the room in the palm of his hand. He shouldn’t be this keyed up over Jensen, not now, not like this, but for him this was a better audition for bedmate than lap dancing.

Halfway through the meeting, Jared had to look down at his ridiculous Mont Blanc pen or else he was going to throw Jensen down on this table and forgo his promise that Jensen would have to beg for his cock. He was the one that was going to do the begging.

He had to get the want under control.

Finally, everyone left. Jared didn’t stand up, but he did at last look up from his pen.

Jensen was staring at him, waiting.

“I’m pretty sure if you fake beg, that will be more than enough,” Jared said huskily.

Jensen walked over to where Jared was sitting and leaned over the table, body suspended on the tips of his fingers.

“Two months,” Jensen said, still calm, cool, and collected. “In two months one of two things will happen.”

His voice was smooth as butter, wrapping around Jared and massaging every nerve ending. He was still in business mode and Jared’s mouth went dry.

“One, I will go home untouched,” Jensen told him. “We’ll part and the bond between packs will be stronger than ever after this exchange program.”

“Boring,” Jared said, happy to find he could sound like he was in control.

“Okay,” Jensen said, with a superior grin and Jared knew that this option wasn’t going to include begging. “Then the other way this goes is you get me on my knees.”

“I like this plan,” Jared said, his eyes narrowing. “What am I not going to like?”

Jensen looked at him calmly. “Me.”

Jared swallowed. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Mated,” Jensen added with a knowing smirk.

Jared recoiled a bit.

Jensen leaned in, letting go of the businessman, his voice rough. “Do you really want to see what happens when I let loose? I’m not talking about just a wild thing in your bed, but that will happen too, but do you really want to see when I unleash everything? Do you think that you have a chance in hell of controlling me? Do you think you have a chance in hell of installing me into your perfect little leadership circle? Is the wanting to fuck me, have me beg, and whine under you enough of a draw for the wild card that is me?”

Jared couldn’t even remember how to breathe in that moment at those words pouring out of Jensen’s mouth. He didn’t know what he truly wanted yet, but everything in that offer was something he wanted to try and he was willing to burn down the world to get it.

He just didn’t know if he was willing to be mated, to anyone. There just was too much at stake.

Jensen raised an eyebrow and cocked his head.

Then, with obviousness, he looked down at Jared’s crotch.

“Looks like you need a minute,” Jensen said, his own pheromones flying, voice dripping with sex. 

With that, he walked away and left Jared staring after the man that just turned his world upside down.

Jared sat there, hands balled up underneath the table, pressed tightly to his thighs to regain some semblance of control. He was thrumming with want; he could feel the wolf right under his skin. He hadn’t been this keyed up since he went through puberty and was just learning to control it all.

He waited until he could stand up without embarrassing himself.

“Well fuck,” he told the empty room.

Jensen had just upped the ante, and Jared was big enough to admit that Jensen had just kicked his ass at his own game. Jared didn’t know if he was angry as hell or hella impressed.

Jared stood there blinking.

"So boss," Misha said, coming into the boardroom. "You just put the buyout in the hands of a total stranger. We all know this deal is a lost cause; group consensus is that we are wondering why you woke us up at two in the morning to tell us that Jensen was taking over something that absolutely was dead. You know we do require a coupe of hours of sleep, right?"

Jared tried to find his composure. "I just wanted to throw him off his game a little."

"Did it work?" Misha asked curiously.

Jared looked down at his pen once again. "Well, no. The plan really backfired in a way that isn’t going to go over well. Find Hartley, I think that the buyout might happen now. Dad is going to be thrilled."

"Hartley and Katie might kill you," Misha said blankly. "They were ready to put that one to bed and move on. They had just finally gotten to the point were they accepted their failure. Actually, they might kill Jensen for doing what they couldn’t."

Jared swallowed. "They'll live."

Misha just looked at him. "So he really is that good."

"He's better," Jared admitted.

"Aww, he got you all hot and bothered?" Misha asked with a teasing lilt.

Jared growled and Misha put up his hands in submission, but his eyes were dancing. 

Jared seethed, but Misha just snickered before ascending into full blown laughter.

Misha snickered and then started laughing. "That is so great, I can't wait until I tell the gang."

Jared groaned and put his head in his hands.

"I want to kill all of you," Jared muttered. “I’m going to take you into the ring of fire and I’m going to murder someone. Please tell me everything is arranged for tonight. I need to hit somebody so bad.”

“It’s done boss,” Misha said, his face back to calm cool and collected.

**

The rest of the day, Jensen was edgy. He had pushed himself and he had pushed Jared to the brink. He had offered things he wasn’t quite prepared to give, and he had watched as Jared seriously seemed to consider his offer. This wasn’t a good sign for his independence and getting away from this town.

This had gone too far and it had only been one day.

He could do the part in the boardroom. He was good at getting people to turn to putty in his hands. He thought he could keep himself in check, except for in less than twenty-four hours, he was careening more than he thought possible. For the remainder of the day, he snapped at all the strangers around him, people who were just trying to help him in this new world.

Finally he couldn’t take it anymore and stood up, storming into Jared’s office.

“You want to see it?” Jensen asked. “You want to see what happens when I let go? You want to take us to the Chambers tonight. From what the girls said, you’re going to take satisfaction for their incursion, you want to see what happens? Let me do it and you can see everything that you don’t want.”

Jared stood up on the opposite side of the desk. “Don’t talk to me like a child. You are in the same boat. Do you even have any idea what you are asking? You throw down mate on the table like it is something not to be considered, like it isn’t for life.”

Jensen leaned in closer. “You don’t know the fuck you are asking for. You want to watch me lose control because you think it would be fun, but imagine that with nothing holding me back. I know it sounds conceited, but I know exactly what I am.”

“I fucking doubt that you are that self aware,” Jared shot back. “I think you are probably lots of things that you don’t know about. You are putting things on the table that you’d never even think of actually doing.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, Padalecki. You’ve known me a fucking day and even you with your gift or reading people you don’t know me,” Jensen spat out.

“So you’re miraculous and a crazy fuck,” Jared growled. “What the hell is wrong with you? You think you have a dark side that you can hide that well?”

“Then tonight, let me loose control and I’ll show you. Let me off leash and I’ll show you how silly your ideas are,” Jensen said, speaking mostly out of hot head.

“You really think you’re that much?” Jared demanded angrily.

“I’m a fucking hurricane!” Jensen was almost yelling by this point. “And even I can’t stop myself when I let go. Tonight is the high moon, and tonight you’re taking us out. I’ll show you exactly what happens.”

Jared leaned in. “Bring it on, there is nothing you have that I can’t handle.”

Jensen let out a sardonic laugh. “You’re an idiot.”

“And you are a cocky, stuck up, self centered asshole who overestimates himself. I just hope that you get your pretty little face bashed in tonight,” Jared said, his own face red.

“We’ll see,” Jensen bit out and stormed out of the room.

Jared had never been more turned on in his life.

**

"You do know you're really good at a lot of things," Katie said, dryly.

"Ten points for an accurate backhanded comment," Chad muttered. “Did you notice her implication that while there are many things that you are good at, this might not be one of them?”

Jared just looked at his crew, all of them dressed in black, waiting in front of the Humvee.

"What they're not saying is that waking us up with something that you concocted at three in the morning after an adrenaline rush may not be the best idea," Misha pointed out.

“Chambers is coming too close,” Jared said sullenly, as if that was the question that they were asking.

Jensen came strolling out and all of their eyes went to him. He was wearing faded jeans and a v-neck that seemed to move to reveal hipbone and collarbone every time he took a step. Around his neck was a black chord connected to a silver disk with his family motto on it.

Five sets of eyes went from Jensen to look back at Jared, while Jared’s eyes remained on Jensen. Jensen didn’t break the gaze as he stepped forward.

Nobody said anything, eyes still fixed on Jared.

Jared looked hungry, starving in fact.

Hartley dragged his gaze to Jensen. “This is a pretty raw thing that you are getting into tonight. This doesn’t have rules. This is fists until something breaks.”

Jensen didn’t look away from Jared. “Okay.”

“This means that if you are going to come, you are one of us. You aren’t going to act like a yipping dog biting at our ankles, but you are going to be with us.”

Jared and Jensen stood looking at each other, and the words that Hartley said disappeared into the whirring vibrating air between them. Jensen just looked at Jared like he was waiting for something.

“Are you with me?” Jared asked, his voice pitched low.

Jensen tilted his head, just slightly to the right.

“I’m with you,” he finally said.

Jared turned and walked to the car. Hartley grabbed Jensen.

“Look, son,” he growled, as Jared got in the car. “I know that you know protocol, and that you’re well versed in the slick rich fantasy ways, but this isn’t that. We keep the law with our fist. He is the heir apparent, and he is taking a huge risk by taking you with us.”

Jensen finally looked away from where Jared had been standing.

The moon was high in the sky and Jensen’s eyes were blown out in the pale light. There was gold glinting there, proof the wolf inside of him was close, and his hair was slightly out of place, he was going out slightly unkempt, there was something slightly wild about him, which was even more alarming than if he had been growling and snarling.

He looked at Hartley straight in the eyes. “If you touch me again, I’ll most likely bite off your pretty face.”

Jensen got into the car, leaving the five of them standing there staring after him.

“I need a drink,” Chad mumbled.

“I need an orgy,” Sophia sighed. “What the fuck was that? Who the fuck was that? I am so turned on right now. Seriously, who is that guy?”

“That was the one last night,” Misha said calmly. “That was the one who made Jared run faster and immediately got between Jared and intruders.”

“My entire body is humming,” Sophia said. “Like I want to fuck and kill. I want to change right the fuck now and I’m having trouble controlling it.”

They all swallowed.

“I am so putting more money on sooner rather than later,” Katie said waving her hand around. “You know, with the whole fucking thing.”

Misha cocked his head. “I think that this is about a hell of a lot more than fucking now.”

**

Only once did a conversation start on the ride over.

"They'll pick Dane or Vin," Chad spoke up, trying to break the tension. 

"Dane is pretty," Katie added. "He likes to put on a show, but if you hit his face a couple of times, he'll surrender."

"They'll pick Vin," Misha said. "Chambers will take one look at Jensen's face and put that gorilla on him. Vin hits like a Mac truck, but he can't move. If you can keep yourself limber, you can take him down."

"He's fine," Jared said, and everybody knew that this conversation, any conversation really, was over.

The car was full of electricity; it crackled and raised the hairs on everybody's arms.

They arrived at the Chamber's gathering point just outside of the Padalecki territory.

The ‘Boneyard’ was as it always was. It was hot rods and crotch rockets, all suped up to the max; all of it on show. There were torches lighting the area, and a few kegs for those without Jack Daniels in their hands.

There were already people yelling, dancing to music coming out of car stereos, fucking in less than dark corners.

At the middle was a circle that nobody went in; they didn’t go in because if anyone went in, they were going to have to start throwing punches and those punches wouldn’t stop until someone was almost dead. On the far side was a fucked up dais of car parts. Chambers sat with his crew, the girls surrounding him wearing only tiny shiny pieces of fabric.

Chambers took one look at the arrival of the car and stood up, weight going to his good leg.

Jensen had to smile a little at that.

They got out of the car and everybody looked fearless, like they belonged there. Like they were going to raise a special kind of hell. Without speaking, Jensen was on Jared's left side, Hartley on the right, and everyone fell into step as they walked into the Chamber's sanctum.

"Well, well, well," Chambers said, coming out in a wife beater and camo pants. "Looks like you're a big ole hypocrite. Shouldn't you be sticking to your own area?"

"It is all my territory. You are subletting from someone who is subletting from me," Jared said evenly. "You crossed a line. I want satisfaction and assurance that you'll never do it again. You need to be reminded that you are on this shit piece of dust because I allow it."

Chambers smirked. "You’re an arrogant fuck, but I'm still not hitting the Padalecki scion."

Jared showed his white teeth in a smirking snarl.

"He's not the one you have to worry about," Jensen said, voice smooth as honey and as dangerous as a poisonous snake.

Chambers looked at him witheringly. "You're going to send the Ackles pup? We don't need any spreadsheets."

He smirked at Jensen as all of Chamber’s people cackled.

Jensen looked up at Chambers and smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. They remained cold and hard. He didn't say anything, but just cocked his head as if he was waiting for something. Finally, he turned his head to look over at Jared through hooded eyes.

Jared grinned with a secret smile, there seemed to be a secret nobody knew between the two of them, and most likely never would. And this secret was probably something completely degrading about Chamber’s mother.

There was a slight rustle and both their heads went to the newcomers. It was a thickly muscled man, a big scruffy pretty boy, and a skinny redhead with dangerous curves.

"Oh, the golden children are here," the girl said, looking at Jensen. "And they brought something new and pretty to play with."

She stepped forward, eyes still locked on Jensen, ignoring the scalding glare that Jared sent her way.

"He's going to fight Vin," Chambers said, bored. "You know, to make sure we know our place."

"You sure ain't going to be pretty at the end of the night," the woman said as she stepped forward, impressively ignoring the black hole anger radiating off of Jared. "Wanna come and have a hot and sweaty before your match, ‘cause it will probably be the last time you're going to be anything more than a hole."

Jensen leaned in, and took a deep breath, before leaning back. "You wanna be bred, little girl? You want a real Alpha between your legs?"

Jared growled low in his throat while her eyes glazed over a little.

“Lindsay,” Chambers said in warning.

Jensen leaned in really close to speak in her ear and looked at Jared behind her, their eyes locked. Jensen began speaking in that voice of his, rough and soothing, the one that made you want to get on your knees and give him anything that he wanted.

"I don't fuck whores," he said straight to Jared. "When I fuck, I’m not some notch on the bedpost, some warm body, some thing to get through the night. I’m something you remember.”

He pulled back and looked at Lindsay who was the only one who didn't realize his words weren't for her.

"You reek of them," Jensen said disdainfully. "I wouldn't touch your skanky ass with a fifty foot pole."

It was the girls and Chad who cracked up behind them. Lindsay looked up at him, her eyes gone ice cold. 

"You should have taken me up on it," she said, voice soft but angry. "You're never going to get another offer. Vin is going to crush your balls, you’ll never be a real man again."

Jared looked over at Jensen, and all they did was share that grin again.

She looked over at Jared, too. "He hasn’t touched you yet. You must be defective, because he’s definitely the definition of a whore. Not the best, but definitely a decent fuck. Maybe if you beg hard enough, he’ll throw you his bone."

Jensen leaned down to look in her eyes and spoke with cruel laughter in his voice. "Go away little girl, the adults need to play. I'm sure there are plenty of guys that you can open your legs for."

She opened her mouth, but Chambers spoke first. “Lindsay, they’re here to fight, and unless you want to step into the ring with him, stop whoring yourself out. This is going to be solved with fists, not with what you are offering.”

She bristled, but when the leader issued an order, then you had to follow it no matter what.

Chambers looked back at Jared. “So your bitch against my bruiser. I’d be more than happy to take him on, but – “

Chambers lifted his pant leg, showing an angry bite that had only partially healed.

“- I wouldn’t want him to take another cheap shot.”

“Whatever,” Jared said shrugging, starting to move. This seemed old hand, as if they had many confrontations here. Jared seemed to know exactly where he was going. 

“My boy is going to kick your overgrown mutt’s ass,” Jared said as if it wasn’t much concern.

Jensen watched him go, knowing that their indifference and lack of fear would do nothing but infuriate the other group. Jensen was pretty impressed how Jared seemed to be able to walk into hostile territory as if he owned it, looking like he wasn’t even trying.

Vin was the one who stepped forward, cold and cocky.

Jared sat on the chair on the far side, his crew around him. Hartley left the nucleus to come and stand by Jensen. Jensen had the feeling that it wasn’t for solidarity.

“We’re with right you now,” Hartley said. “Each of us has your back. Vin is a dick. He hits like you are falling into a brick wall. I’ve gone a few rounds with him when he was a kid and he had fewer muscles then. He has brute force, but he doesn’t move all that quickly.”

“I believe you,” Jensen said, taping his hands. He finished and looked over at Jared. Their eyes met and Jensen’s hands went to the hem of his shirt, slowly peeling it off his chest, as if for show. When the shirt was completely off, Jared’s eyes were still on Jensen.

Hartley leaned towards Jensen’s ear. “I’d beat you if we all weren’t all supposed to be supporting you right now. So you’re going to keep looking at him and you’re going to listen to me and pretend like I’m telling you about Vin. Do you understand?”

Jensen didn’t give an inch, but he nodded.

“This is the first time I’ve ever had to do this, so if I do it wrong I’m sorry, but I’m going to give you a speech that means ‘if you fuck with him I will happily kill you’ and if you think anything less than you are greatly mistaken,” Hartley said evenly. “See, that guy that you are staring holes at, well, he’s family. He’s my brother, my leader, and I cannot even begin to tell you how absolutely loyal I am to him. If you are even remotely fucking with him, then we will drag you into the desert and you won’t be coming back.”

Jensen didn’t look away from Jared, but he barely nodded in understanding.

“See, the thing I know is that you were offered up as a sacrificial lamb,” Hartley continued. “But nobody asked you to broker a multimillion dollar deal, to turn the tide and get that on track, and nobody asked you to be the one to face off against Vin. Yeah, Jared was fucking with you, but you’re fucking with our lives today and if you’re just fucking with him, then that isn’t good. His brother has his eyes on the prize and if Jared shows a little weakness over something like a an unrequited fling with an ungrateful bitch, then it means his life and I like him alive.”

Jensen tore his eyes from Jared and looked at Hartley.

“It’s been thirty hours, and I’m flattered that you think that I have a master plan to bring down the family through what I’m sure has been masterful seduction techniques on my part, but I assure you I have absolutely no idea what is going on,” Jensen said flatly. 

Hartley searched his face and then his features relaxed. Hartley looked over at where Vin was posturing for the local girls.

“He has a bad back,” Hartley said conversationally, as if he weren’t just threatening Jensen. “Make him overreach for you, twist, and then take a couple of kidney shots.”

Jensen looked at him warily.

Hartley shrugged. “As an ally that Jared let under his roof, you have my loyalty and protection absolutely right up to the point where Jared is affected.”

Jensen’s brow wrinkled. He had no idea what to do with that. This was the kind of loyalty outside of family he had heard about but never experienced; never really trusted.

Hartley turned to leave, then he turned back. “Oh yeah. I came over here to tell you that Jared says to kick his ass.”

**

Jared didn’t flinch as Jensen took his third punch from Vin’s impressively meaty fists.

“Well, Ackles knows how to take a punch,” Katie commented as Jensen stood tall and seemed to study Vin’s moves, like he wasn’t even in the ring getting his face punched in. Her voice was a dry understatement. Jensen was getting his ass beaten. 

“Wait for it,” Misha said, seeing something none of them did, as always.

“Wait for what?” Sophia quipped. “Him to turn into a beaten mass?”

Jensen ducked the next punch and landed an undercut to Vin’s kidneys.

“Good boy,” Hartley whispered.

Jared’s crew stood still as statues as Jensen began to fight back, moving deftly around the massive opponent.

“Is he taunting him?” Chad asked tilting his head and watching as Jensen ducked another punch before getting a series of jabs in.

“He’s not doing much,” Katie said, waiting on joining the Jensen Ackles appreciation club.

“Holy shit,” Chad said, eyes wide, watching as Jensen came alive and began delivering a real performance. They all felt the elastic snap as Jensen began to unleash holy hell on Vin.

Jared’s eyes scrutinized Jensen, but his expression remained the same - calm, cool, indifferent.

The match lasted twenty more minutes, but from that moment on, it was downhill for Vin. The cheering in the crowd got louder and nastier, but Jared’s crew just sat there observing as Jensen began to take down Vin. He wasn’t so calm and cool anymore.

“God, he’s a feral junkyard dog,” Chad remarked. “I think he’s actually snarling.”

Katie’s eyes went wide as she watched Jensen throw everything at Vin, landing it perfectly and unrelentingly.

“Okay,” she said, almost breathlessly. “He’s good. Really good.”

Jared just watched as Jensen let go, only one thing on his mind and that was knocking the shit out of Vin.

Vin was beaten, bloody, and mostly on the ground when Jensen went in for the kill. 

Vin was done by this point and Jensen was going to snap his neck.

That’s when Jared stood up.

“No,” he said and it rang through the crowd. Suddenly, the manic crowd went silent at his voice. Everyone, except for Jensen.

Jensen just stood there over Vin, ignoring Jared, preparing his strength to rip off Vin’s meaty head.

In a blink of an eye Jared tore his shirt off and shifted, his large wolf form jumping down on the mat and growling at Jensen.

Jensen had Vin pinned on the ground, arm around his neck, hands on his head.

Jared-wolf stood there growling, hair bristling, teeth showing. Everyone in the crowd backed down, but Jensen leaned in to the hazel-yellow eyes glowing in the firelight. Nobody wanted to face up to an angry pack leader in wolf form. It was a death wish.

Nobody, except for Jensen.

Jensen looked over at him, eyes glinting with more gold than green now. He didn’t let go of Vin as he he gave Jared-wolf a wild smile. The wolf growled at him, lunging and nipping, fangs finally biting into Jensen’s arm, drawing blood and a little bit of sense back into Jensen’s eyes.

But not complete sanity. The calm man from the boardroom was gone and in his stead was a wild-eyed crazy man, ready to destroy.

Jensen licked his lips and gave Jared a different sort of smile.

In a flash, he was changing into wolf form, running into the moonlit darkness, kill forgotten for a much better game.

Jared-wolf didn’t hesitate, following Jensen into the night.

Hartley looked over at Chambers, then at the riotous crowd, before finally looking toward Vin on the ground.

“Well, this looks like we should be going,” Chad commented.

“Yeah, the boss is gone so let’s hurry,” Sophia agreed.

“But not too much,” Hartley muttered. “We just won. It’s time to talk a little shit.”

They all glared at him because they knew that he would be the one talking shit and they would be the ones taking the punches while Hartley just smirked.

“Okay, meandering exit it is,” he said with a sigh.

**

Jensen slowly came back to himself.

He remembered running. He had no clue as to the terrain, but he ran, heedless of direction. He remembered feeling the presence behind him. He wouldn’t get lost, because all he had to do was run, and Jared would be there.

He could be whatever he wanted, if he was going to back to the Compound then Jared was going to be the one to ensure that.

Jensen had been full of adrenaline.

Jared-wolf had come and tackled him. They had fought for hours, the other wolf herding him, either snarling or occasionally with claws.

Jensen moved, eyes still closed, and he knew his body wore the proof of the night before on top of his marks of the fight.

Jared had bit him and snapped at him. Jensen remembered feeling so willful, like he wanted to run forever with Jared at his heels. It as Jared-wolf who had pushed him in the direction of home. Part of him sang with the wanting, the desire to be controlled. He didn’t have to do anything and everything would still be okay.

Jensen opened his eyes. He was naked, slightly bloody, and dirty on white sheets. He was in a room with wide windows, shades drawn. The walls and the bed were pristine white with the floor and furniture a dark brown. The room was clean, except for his dirty bruised body soiling the eight hundred count white Egyptian cotton sheets. It was almost surreal to be in this room.

Jensen felt Jared’s presence, so he took a moment to steady himself. He didn’t look up, just tried to find some sort of dignity. It didn’t want to be found.

Jared was tying his tie when Jensen’s eyes found him.

“You can’t go into the office today,” Jared said, calm and commanding. “We have a rule about bites and bruises in visible places. You don’t go in when you look like you got hit by a bus.”

Jensen looked down at his body. It was a neo-modernist mess of color and scrapes, he was sure that his face was in disarray as Vin did like nothing else in the world mattered. The wound that hurt the worst was the slash on his shoulder. The mark on his shoulder was bandaged.

Jensen closed his eyes. He definitely remembered that one.

Jared-wolf had been on top of him, claws buried in his shoulder as Jensen-wolf tried to buck and bite back. It was savage; there was nothing sexy last night. It was about establishing ground rules. The bite on his shoulder hadn’t been mating; it was proof of who was in charge, who his Alpha was.

The idea that Jensen had been put in his place both annoyed him and turned him on beyond belief. Nobody had ever tried to before.

Jared wolf had clawed and manhandled and Jensen, for his entire prowess earlier, had found himself in Jared’s bed and at his mercy at the end of the night.

Jared had carried him to the bed and thrown him down on top of it. Jensen had no strength, his body beaten beyond moving, muscles aching, shoulder throbbing. Jared had growled at him not to move, and Jensen was okay with that because he couldn’t move if he tried. He had been fighting something, and he had nothing left, including the reason why he was fighting.

Jared had returned with pills and a first aid kit. Jared had held out the pills and Jensen had meekly taken them with the last ounce of strength that he had.

Jared had sat down angrily. He had poured alcohol over Jensen’s shoulder. Jensen had hissed, but stayed still while Jared had cleaned up the wounds.

Jensen was hazy on the whole night, but he was even hazier on what happened next. 

He remembered laying back. The bed was so soft. A finger brushed his hair away from his forehead and then moved to cup his face.

The way that the voice had sounded, it was so soft, so desperate, so needy.

And it was Jared.

“What the fuck are you doing to me?” it had said. “You didn’t listen and I left my fucking place for you. This isn’t how it is supposed to go. I have the whole fucking world on my shoulders and I will leave it behind to follow you. What the fuck are you doing to me?”

Jensen heard that pleading voice over and over again in his mind.

It gave him goosebumps. He was so close to submitting to Jared, just giving everything of himself up, that he had to bite his tongue to hold it back.

Instead, he tried to be pithy.

“Not how I thought I would end up in your bed,” Jensen said flippantly. He tried to say it flippantly that is. He wanted it to make light of everything, but the words came out snarling. He still couldn’t admit to what he wanted. He had shown Jared everything he was and the decision was no longer in his hands. He was in a place to be judged and as much as he knew this was what he wanted, so Jared would pull away, he didn’t want to be judged. Not by Jared.

He didn’t know if he was more scared that Jared would take him up on the offer or exile him.

Jared stopped and looked out the window. “Well, it looks as if nobody gets what they want.”

Jensen looked down, ashamed. He knew what happened when he got like that. He looked at his nails like he would see the blood that should be there. Blood of those he had killed.

“Vin?” Jensen said softly, not really wanting to know.

“Alive,” Jared said, going back to getting ready.

He bustled around and Jensen wondered if he really needed to be in the room anymore. He kind of wished that the earth would swallow him up.

“You saw it,” Jensen finally said, really not liking being ignored. “Do you want me to leave now?”

Jared put on his coat. “Stay here. Work on the deal you started yesterday. We’ll check in by phone and e-mail. Somebody will stay here with you.”

Jared walked out and Jensen just sat there in the sheets, dirty with his own filth.

“That isn’t an answer,” he whispered to the empty doorframe.

 

**  
Part 3  
** 

 

Jared was staring out the window. He was trying not to think about Jensen, because his thoughts were taking a disturbing thought. They had always been filled full of the dirty things that he wanted to do to Jensen. 

But his thoughts now weren’t only of fucking Jensen. 

He had watched Jensen sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Jensen sleeping.

He now knew by heart Jensen’s freckles across his nose, his eyelashes across his cheeks, the way his lips curled.

Jared was well and good fucked, and not in the way that he wanted.

So he stared out the window and tried to assimilate Jensen into his world view.

“You’re not doing much work,” Chad said as he came into the room and put his feet up on Jared’s desk.

“I don’t work, I delegate,” Jared muttered.

“That is bullshit,” Chad informed him. 

Jared glared.

Chad’s eyes squinted.

Finally Jared gave up. Chad was stupidly persistent.

“I wanted to fuck the shit out of him last night,” Jared confessed. 

“And wow, I’m glad you’re in charge and don’t have to fear Human Resources,” Chad said. “Carry on. Confession is good for the soul.”

“You learn that from the girl’s magazines?” Jared bit out.

“And now you try to change the conversation,” Chad said superiorly.

“Did you see him?” Jared questioned, putting his head in his hands. “The way he was calculating and calm and took down that beast. God, my mouth was watering. I wanted to fuck him right there in full view of everyone, just so they knew he was mine. He let go last night and every little part of me wanted to let go with him. To fuck him into the ground. He was wild and alive and I wanted him more than I wanted anything else.”

“Then take him,” Chad said simply.

“How the hell can I even entertain a wild card like that?” Jared ground out. “I can deal with my crazy and the group’s crazy. I know where the lines are drawn with us and that none of you will cross me, but I don’t know with him. I don’t know if I have enough to tame him. I might pretend that I understand what’s going on under his skin, but there is something raw and powerful and defiant and I want it all.”

Chad studied him for a long moment before speaking. “You followed him.”

Jared laughed bitterly. “He ran and there was no way I wasn’t going to follow him, but I can’t do that again. I can’t have that. God, I want him so badly, but I can only get him as a mate and I can’t have one that won’t follow.”

Chad was silent for once.

Jared looked up at him with a glare. “I have my brother breathing down my neck, and what if I can’t control Jensen? We’re all going to be exiled from the pack if I do something wrong. Actually, that will be if we’re lucky. Most likely, Jeff will kill us all.”

Chad just looked at him with slitted eyes. Jared really hated that look sometimes.

“Speak, my little sidekick,” Jared said with gritted teeth.

“Do you want me to channel Misha?” Chad said, staring at the ceiling. 

“We can call it that so I don’t try to strangle you,” Jensen informed him.

“Part of you realizes you already see him as yours,” Chad told him. “Or some mystical, animalistic shit that Misha would say.”

“It’s been less than three days,” Jared growled out.

Chad shrugged. “Then just fuck him and get it over with. I don’t know why you didn’t last night.”

“He wouldn’t have known it was me,” Jared said with forceforcefully, standing up and pacing.

“Um, yeah, it couldn’t be the whole seeing him as yours thing,” Chad muttered. 

“What?” Jared asked, distractedly.

Chad smiled his version of innocent. “Nothing. Lets go out tonight. You know, go get out your funk.”

Jared closed his eyes. He felt more alive without even touching Jensen than he had in weeks in the clubs. He didn’t want to go home, he didn’t want to be running out with Jensen because he wanted it so badly, and he didn’t know if he could trust himself to keep his head. He also didn’t want to go to club and be in the middle of vapidness.

But god, it would be a place for forgetting. Right now he wanted something to forget.

“I’m in,” Jared said with a sigh.

“Dude, you make it sound miserable. It’s the club. We’re gods there,” Chad said.

“”Whatever, let me do work,” Jared said firmly, once again gaining his componsure and sitting down again.

**

“You know what I like about you?”

Jensen looked up. He had just spent the last five hours glued to the screen figuring out how to make the buy out that he had begun to finagle a possibility. Anything else was pushed from his mind.

“I’m sure you found some excellent things in the two days that we’ve been acquainted,” Jensen said dryly, not looking up.

“I like the way you do anything,” Misha said. “It’s like everything you do is going to be the last thing you do; it’s going to be your legacy. I’ve never seen anybody who puts everything into what he’s doing. Like the last thing you do is what your entire life is going to be judged on.”

“Glad that you approve,” Jensen muttered, because there was quite a bit of truth to that statement.

Misha stood there far longer than Jensen was comfortable with.

Finally, after Jensen knew he had started sweating from the scrutiny, Misha spoke.

“We’re supposed to meet them at the club at eleven,” Misha said. 

“I thought on full moon days, we stayed here,” Jensen said, finally looking up.

Misha just stared.

Jensen saw a million thoughts flash through Misha’s eyes, although Jensen had no idea what those thoughts were.

In the end, none of those thoughts were voiced. 

“Eleven,” Misha said. “The girls will be here around ten with things for you to wear. Try to shower before then.”

 

**

“This is a risky game,” Sophia said.

It was just the five of them in a room. Misha had driven in and they were in the backroom of a coffee shop a few buildings down from the office.

“But this is our game to play,” Hartley pointed out.

When they were sixteen, when Jeff first tried for Jared’s life they had all sworn themselves to him, in lieu of a mate, they would fill as the ones to watch his back, to stand by his side, to help make the hard decisions. They all knew his reasons for not wanting a mate. They were willing to keep their promise when he wasn’t going to mate, but in a short span of time Jensen had changed their minds about a great deal of things.

“We could give it time,” Katie said looking at her nails.

“He’s the one,” Sophia said. “He’s got the strength, the brains, and Jared wants him. I don’t know why we’re even needing to have this discussion. Jensen is the one for Jared.”

“After a decade of caution I don’t know why we’re moving so fast,” Katie said with an eye roll.

“We don’t have time,” Hartley replied. “Gerald can’t hold it together much longer, Jared has to step up.”

“Besides he’s the one,” Misha said. “What is needed to be between Jared and a mate is there. He is the right one.”

“Yeah, but the sure thing is also a wild card,” Chad told them. “He looks like he’s going to bite the hand that feeds him.”

“That was an amazing amount of mixed metaphors,” Misha said dryly.

“Jared doesn’t really seem to be adverse to Jensen biting,” Katie added dryly.

“Kinks aside, Gerald likes Jensen,” Hartley spoke up. “I asked Gerald today and he finally caved and that he’d been watching Jensen his entire life. Besides the fact that it would be a great alliance, Gerald knows his son and he knows his people and he wanted Jensen for his son. After watching them, he is sure of the match. Jared has had partners and Jared has a couple of pups to carry on the line, but what Jared needs is someone at the head of the pack next to him so he doesn’t have to be so prickly. Gerald thinks that Jensen is the one and Gerald doesn’t want to step down until Jared is mated. This is the one that he wants. Therefore, this is what we have to do.”

They were all quiet for a minute.

“I’d just like to point out that we’re not matchmakers,” Chad said.

“I’d like to point out that we are,” Sophia said quietly. “We all love him, we saw what happened when he was brought home from the Baldwin lands. We all promised that we would be like a mate so he didn’t have to find one. We all agreed that we would step aside if the right one came along and we all have to agree to step aside.”

They were all silent.

“Jensen has flaws, but he’s good, the closest to the best that anyone can get,” Misha said.

“Jared wants him,” Sophia added.

“Anyone opposed to us making this happen?” Hartley asked.

They all looked at each other.

“Let’s get the fairy wings,” Chad sighed. “We’re apparently the match makers.”

“This plan is stupid, though,” Katie informed them.

“He’s probably going to kill us,” Misha offered. 

“Maybe,” Chad sighed. “But at least then we won’t have to contend with Jeff.”

Everyone looked at him.

“Yeah, too soon,” Hartley said authoratively. “Let’s talk more about tarting Jensen up and riling up our dear future king.”

**

Jared arrived at midnight. He walked through the crowd, gazing straight ahead and not really caring as the crowd parted for him. They were looking lasciviously at him, as always, and the music was flowing around him, not that he was paying much attention to it. Jared just felt Jensen dancing around in his head.

He took a slug of whiskey. Chad knew him well enough to give him the cheap stuff at this point. He wanted the burn. Jared looked at the Sanctuary and its faceless dancers for a second, he wasn’t sure who he called over, but bodies followed him up to the Annex.

Jared wasn’t quite present as he took his chair. He had a writhing body on his lap, his eyes were closed and he just tried to focus on this, not the want that was threatening to boil over.

He had absolutely no idea why, but he opened his eyes and turned towards the dance floor. 

It was dark and there was a sea of people out there, but he thought he saw a flash. Whoever it was he was making out with was flown to the floor and Jared was at the railing, hands around the bar, knuckles turning white.

It was then he knew what the feeling was, the tug he felt compelled by. It happened during courting, it was how one knew which partner was for real. He had never experienced it before, thinking it was a myth.

He had no such doubts now.

Down in the Sanctuary, moving hypnotically with shirt gone and eyelined, there was Jensen, his hair spiky and body glistening. Other bodies were moving around him, touching with freedom Jared wasn’t benevolent enough to accept right now. Everybody was touching, but Jensen wasn’t committing to more than a kiss, a grope. 

“You haven’t even claimed him yet.” Hartley came up to his side from nowhere. “I mean, you don’t have to mate him, but you should at least let people know he isn’t up for grabs. It’s not fair to have to exile someone because you didn’t step up.”

“You brought him here,” Jared said through clenched teeth, every single part of his body taut with tension and anger. He was going to murder everyone in this place including his own people.

Jensen was lost to the music, body flowing to the beat with foreign hands touching him. Jared was mesmerized, and he tried to stay still. He tried to not lunge down there and rip every person around Jensen apart.

Hartley shrugged. “He knows that you’re here. He only started moving like that when you came up here.”

Jared closed his eyes and leaned forward. He breathed in deep and then opened his eyes.

Jensen was staring straight at him, completely still even as the bodies around him were in constant motion. For the first time, Jensen reached out, grabbed a guy next to him and ground down on him, hands across his shoulders and flitting over his body, all the while staring at Jared, green eyes flashing colors in the strobe lights.

“He wants you to bring him in,” Hartley whispered. “He’s begging for you to.”

Jensen turned towards the man he was dancing next to. The stranger’s lips started gravitating towards Jensen’s.

“No,” Jared said calmly.

It wasn’t loud by any means, but Jensen was tuned into Jared. His eyes snapped up towards Jared, half hooded.

They couldn’t really deny the connection between them. It hummed and if Jared didn’t touch him soon, he was going to go insane.

Jared managed to stand still, just looking at Jensen.

“Come here,” he said in a much louder voice, the one that commanded. It was a rumble that went through the club. 

The corners of Jensen’s mouth lifted, his eyes still hooded. The guy who had been all over him jumped away like he was burned. The club got louder. The wolves in the club knew what was going on, the people felt the current that they couldn’t understand.

People parted for Jensen as he walked towards the stairs to go up to the Annex. Jensen paid them no attention; he only had eyes for Jared.

“Leave now,” Jared said to the other people in the Annex in that dangerous voice. 

The area was empty by the time Jensen sauntered in. 

Jensen didn’t make a move, just stood there, chin at a defiant angle.

Jared looked at him, really looked at him. He took in the bare chest, sweaty from dancing, pants low on his hips, the bones protruding from the top of them since they were obscenely tight. Jared could swear that Jensen’s lips were ten times more perfect in this light; he could just imagine what those lips would be like everywhere on his body.

Jared swallowed. It was on, there really was no fighting it. He was gone for Jensen.

But he didn’t have to tell Jensen all of that.

He just really didn’t know what he was supposed to be saying right now.

“What?” Jensen said, finding words much easier. “You’re up here fucking around. Your girls dressed me up like a trollop and got me drunk enough that I stopped noticing how fucking small these pants are and then drunker to lose the shirt, so I’m pretty off, but that doesn’t really stop me from seeing what’s happening. I thought they were trussing me up for you, but I’m just supposed to watch you with some Amazon blonde with a rack to kill for and you suddenly go all prickly Alpha when I dare touch someone else?”

Jared made a face at his words. But he couldn’t say anything back to Jensen right now. Words were lost beneath the want and the desire and the sheer animal raging within himself. Jensen was right, Jared was playing a game that wasn’t fair. He couldn’t ask Jensen to do what he wasn’t willing to.

His fists were balled at his side, teeth grinding.

Jensen stopped. He looked at Jared. Jared felt like he had his entire motivation written in neon lights above his head.

Jensen’s brow creased and figured it out as he spoke slowly. “You didn’t know I was going to be here.”

Jared didn’t move his posture, but Jensen’s eyes blazed with anger.

“Oh that’s sweet, you were going to fuck around behind my back,” Jensen bit out. “You don’t even have the fucking guts to say it to my face and make me go, you’re just going to move the hell on. Glad to know your attention span fits on the head of a pin. Be a fucking full grown Alpha and tell me to get the fuck out of your territory.”

Jensen was in his face, standing nose to nose.

Jared grabbed him and dove into his mouth. Jensen gave back as much as he got, trying to control the kiss, trying to find the place that he was in charge. Jared was having none of it, his hands held onto Jensen’s head, partially guiding and partially forcing the kiss to be under his control.

Jensen didn’t give.

So Jared bit his bottom lip. Jensen jerked back.

Neither noticed that people were all staring up at them from below in the Sanctuary. They were putting on a show and neither one of them could care.

Jensen sucked his lip into his mouth. 

“You have your freedom, games are done,” Jared said huskily, his entire body thrumming. “If you want to leave, you need to leave now. You can do your two months in luxury at any hotel. If you stay under my roof, then you are right we can’t do this, I can’t have you with anyone else.”

Jensen glared at him. “Fuck you. You don’t need me. I thought that you were over this thing. I’m not going to sit at home, like you apparently want, while you have your fingers in some girls’ cunts. What do you think I am?”

Jared looked at him, eyes luminous. “I wouldn’t.”

“You just did,” Jensen snarled.

“Me and you,” Jared told him, stepping into Jensen’s space again. “While you’re here, while you’re under my roof, me and you, we’re the only ones in this. No promises of mate, not right now, but marks placed, you and me until we figure this out.”

Jensen grabbed his belt and pulled them flush. He tilted his head offering a muscled shoulder and a long column of neck.

“Do it,” Jensen said. “Just do it.”

Jared could barely breathe at what Jensen was offering, so willingly. It was a rush like he had never felt, from his toes to the tip of his nose he could barely contain what he was feeling.

It was commanding rather than begging, and Jared could just imagine what the begging would sound like. But Jensen was giving him something. Jensen was being submissive in the only way that he could.

Jared was stunned by the gravity of ‘want’ and ‘mate’ going through his head. I was too heady to make promises now. He had been so sure he never was going to mate, he couldn’t just change his mind charged up like this he needed a second, he needed a second as much as he needed to know that Jensen would give him the chance, wouldn’t be with someone else.

Jared’s fingers traced Jensen’s neck and then went back up to his lips before tilting Jensen’s head up.

“If we place marks, there’s nothing else until one of us breaks this. You and me and no one else until we break this,” Jared said, leaning in for another one of their mind numbing kisses. It was almost too much. When he pulled away his voice couldn’t seem to catch, came in gasps of breath. “I want to fuck you until you can’t remember your own name and then until you can’t walk for days, but you’re going to come to me. I’m done chasing you.”

Jensen’s breath was coming short, like he was trying not to let out the little noises. “Do it.”

Jared didn’t move.

“Please,” Jensen said softly.

Jared ran his hands up Jensen’s back and Jensen held on to his waist like it was a life line. Jared kissed him again and this time Jensen didn’t try to take over. He matched him, kissed him, and tried to beg with his lips. Jared had never felt someone both defiant and wanting at the same time. 

Jared had never asked for anyone before, not beyond friendship. He wasn’t really one to demand faithfulness when he didn’t care about forever. He hadn’t wanted to be mated. He didn’t want anyone to be his for eternity.

Until now. 

Until Jensen entered his life and he felt like he was going to build Jensen a tower somewhere so that no one else ever got to see him. Jealousy had always been unbecoming, but he understood the sensation and the insanity that it drove people to. 

Jared ripped himself away from Jensen’s mouth and nibbled to Jensen’s shoulder, pulling him flush, their bodies together as he sucked his mark into Jensen’s shoulder. They were in full view of the entire club, everyone watching as Jared encircled Jensen, who was naked to the waist as he writhed into Jared, looking for friction, looking for more of whatever Jared had to offer.

Jensen bit his teeth into Jared’s shoulder, his teeth breaking skin. Until the actual mating, until they decided that mate was actually something real and not something that they were taunting each other with, this mark would hold. Anyone who didn’t respect the mark would be more than open to any wrath. It was a promise, it was a hold, it was like the human’s going steady, except for to get between was much more dangerous.

He could feel Jensen’s body beneath him and the want doubled.

A tenuous vibration of connection was formed. He could feel how much Jensen wanted him, felt for him. He could feel fear and defiance; he could feel all of what Jensen was. It was exhilarating. He didn’t feel edgy anymore, just by having this little piece of Jensen, he felt satisfied.

He was barely able to pull back, wanting to take if further. Wanting more. He wanted to fuck into Jensen. To get submission, To rut and mate.

But he pulled away; he wouldn’t take Jensen without consent. He looked at Jensen, trying to blink back into reality, completely dazed.

Jared licked his lips, it felt like the taste of Jensen was branded there.

Jensen looked at the muscle of Jared’s in his groggy state, it was clean, it had never been marked. He had never even been so much as momentarily claimed.

What drove Jared to do it was simply the fact that Jensen didn’t ask for equality. Jensen didn’t ask for Jared to be his, didn’t expect it, didn’t need it in return, Jensen just wanted to belong and didn’t realize how much of a two way street this thing between them was.

Jared offered and Jensen leaned in. He slid his tongue up and down Jared’s neck, as if he were testing placement for his spot. Jensen nipped and then sucked into Jared’s neck. 

It was the closest thing to right Jared had ever known. Jensen sucking, his body undulating against Jared’s, it was almost too much. Jared had quite a lot of sex but it didn’t even come close to this moment. Jared had never come in his pants, a thing he wore with pride, but Jensen rolling his hips, seeking to be closer than their clothes allowed, was enough to almost make him lose control. His arms cupped and held Jensen. 

He wanted to crawl inside Jensen’s skin and never leave.

“Hey boss,” Hartley said, interrupting them.

Jared growled.

“I wouldn’t be risking this if it wasn’t important,” Justin went on, his voice devoid of humor, it was serious and humble.

It was a thing to be taken seriously.

With the willpower of a thousand lesser men, he pulled away, Jensen let out a whimper, but managed to keep still and not go after Jared’s lips.

“The Baldwins are here,” Hartley said. “They’re pissed that we took out their lackeys.”

“We?” Jensen muttered, trying to point out exactly who had put those lackeys in place.

Hartley gave him a smile, but it faded as he saw the dark worried look that Jared had. Jared grabbed for his phone and pulled into the shadows.

“Everybody’s coming up,” Hartley called at him.

Jensen knew that there was something going on here and explanations were going to have to wait until the something that they were waiting for happened.

Hartley looked at Jensen and gave him a cold glare. “Turf war, they usually don’t come here, this is not good.”

Jensen stood up tall, as if it was nothing that Hartley, and pretty much the whole club, had seen him marked, had seen him hump wildly at Jared. Jensen had never had a clear moment when he couldn’t summon more arrogance and dignity than the situation deserved. It was a special over compensating skill that was perfect for this moment.

“Let me guess. If I undermine the solid force of Jared, you’ll give me over to them for a lovely gangbang,” Jensen said haughtily.

“Wow,” Chad said, coming up the stairs. “I’m going to use that some day.”

Chad threw a shirt at Jensen.

“For your dignity,” Chad said. “You kind of need to be growly puppy again. That’s what they think you are after they heard about your show last night, so you should just let go of that thin little leash you keep on your temper.”

Jensen looked over at Jared, who was still on the phone. Hartley caught his eyes.

Hartley nodded. “Look, we’ve never had to deal with him and the whole claiming thing so we’re just going by what we’ve been taught, expierence being lacking. While that could just mean that you’re arm candy and the plaything in his bed, we have a feeling that you’re going to take the more long term path and one day be in the running for mate. We’ll throw you a party later. For now, you’re gonna earn that spot by looking pissed. Feel free to bite.”

“If you bite anyone but me, I’m going to feed you your balls,” Jared growled.

Jensen looked at him. Jared had found his chair. Jensen had never seen how much the chair looked like a throne. All of Jared’s fear and nervousness was gone. He sat in the chair like the little arrogant prince.

Jensen slipped on the shirt. It was tight, but at least he wouldn’t have to be half naked with the Baldwins coming up the stairs.

Jared had his head in that devil may care posture, his hands balling up and ready to strike. “How many?”

“Three,” Misha said, the girls following behind. “I don’t think Mr. All Powerful Leader is going to dignify himself with an off-site meeting.”

“The younger brothers,” Sophia said. “They’re partially wasted; even more than light weight over there,” she said craning to look at Jensen. “Hi lightweight. It’s a damn shame that you had to put on a shirt, but oh well.”

Jared looked at Jensen incredulously. “Just how drunk are you?”

Jensen touched the mark on his shoulder. “I drank away a good part of my pride.”

Jared just looked at him, feeling fleetingly guilty for taking advantage. But under the heat of Jensen’s eyes he couldn’t find room for regret. 

The brothers came thumping up the stairs.

Into view came the three younger Baldwins. Jensen had heard of them, but since they were so outside of his realm, he had never given them much thought. Over the past decade, the four brothers had banded together to expand their territory. They were technically part of the Padalecki Pack, but they were nipping at what had been given to them.

Jared sat in his chair, prepared to bite back. Jensen stood near him, ready to rip them apart if need be.

“Little Padalecki,” Billy said, coming into the area. “Looks like you’re moving up in the world.”

Jared looked up at them through half lidded eyes. His hands were casually resting on the armrests. They addressed him as a child, but as Jared sat there, his presence began to permeate. Jared let it sit for a moment, watching as they got a little shifty.

Jensen was impressed. Jensen stood next to Jared, feet shoulder width apart and arms crossed over his chest. He began to think that this might be interesting. He had never underestimated Jared, but he was beginning to think that he never gave Jared enough credit.

“Baldwins,” Jared said, calm and commanding.

“We’re so glad that you came to pay tribute,” Katie said dryly. 

“What did you bring us?” Sophia said with very fake interest.

The youngest cupped his crotch. “Whatever you want, baby.”

Jensen stepped forward and had him by the neck against the wall in the blink of an eye.

“Say you’re sorry to the lady,” Jensen growled.

Sophia rolled her eyes. The women of the Cub Pack were the muscle, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t handle this.

The Baby Baldwin’s eyes went to Jared.

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Jared said. “You insulted one of my ladies and you owe her an apology.”

Katie snickered.

Jensen let up on his neck, staring impassively as the man coughed.

“Ugh,” he muttered, bending over to try and catch his breath.

Sophia stepped closer, her body taking on the predatory stance of Jared’s Amazons. She took one manicured hand and lifted his face.

“I’m sorry,” she said sweetly. “What did you say?”

This time, he looked over at his brothers.

“For the love of Christ, Stephen, just apologize,” Billy sighed.

“I’m sorry for hurting your delicate sensibilities,” he said, not very sweetly.

“Does that work for you, Sophia?” Jensen asked menacingly.

“Dunno,” Sophia said. “Should I still be offended, Jared?”

Jared paused and all of them waited for his proclamation.

“Yes,” Jared said in a deep voice. “But if you don’t mind putting that on hold, I would really like to know what they are here for. Would you be okay if we owe them one ball smashing?”

“Oh don’t mind expediency,” Billy said. “Kick him in the nads so the grown ups can have a conversation.”

“What?!” Stephen yelped.

“Don’t insult the women,” Daniel replied. “It isn’t done.”

“Sophia, do as they say,” Jared decreed.

Sophia grinned, winked at Katie, then she put both of her hands on Stephen’s shoulders and kneed him in the balls. He fell to the floor wheezing and moaning.

Everyone ignored him.

“So Alec heard about last night and he felt that perhaps you were over stepping a bit,” Daniel said.

Jared gave them a placating grin. “I don’t feel I over stepped a bit.”

“I might have over stepped slightly,” Jensen voulenteered. “But they had most of that coming.”

Billy and Daniel turned to look at Jensen. Stephen was still indisposed on the floor.

“The bitch I presume?” Billy said conversationally to Jensen, nodding towards Jared. “Did he tell you that my brother taught him everything he knows?”

Jensen raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating.”

“Oh he did. Jared kept coming back; like a little whore,” the Stephen chimed in from the floor.

“Oh my god,” Chad huffed, exasperated. Jensen was a little startled by that. He didn’t expect Chad to speak up in a situation like this; he had actually forgotten that Chad existed. “It was ten years ago and your brother was begging for Jared. Jared said no so Alec went to Gerald. He asked for Jared, got told go to hell do not pass go and if you look at my son’s ass again I’m going to take your balls off with my bare hands. Big brother Alec got thrown out with the imprint of Gerald Padalecki’s foot on his ass. Ten years ago and you love to bring it up, like it’s something to be proud of.”

Jared’s crew started snickering while Jensen crossed his arms and mentally started eviscerating all of them and also this missing big brother.

Jared was resting his chin on his hand, like he was so bored with this conversation. “Did you have something to tell us besides your brother’s short, and I do mean short, comings? History is great, but we have more current events as an issue. Your lackeys have been getting into my territory and I don’t appreciate it. You’re really starting to piss me off.”

The three of them looked at him like rabid wolves. Jensen was quite amazed that everyone was so calm, especially since he personally wanted to rip the heads off of the brothers.

“Just a warning,” Billy said. “Alec wants you and your rabble on your side of the line. Don’t come crossing over to start battles. We’ll pay for our men being on your side of the line, but you were out of line. Vin may never walk again and Alec is pissed.”

Jared cocked his head. “Vin stood up; he takes what he gets. Why do you think I give a fuck about your brother’s feelings? Do you seriously think that I care what some hick Alpha who can only get it up with pups thinks? Your guys are inept, your brother is worthless, and all of you can take a flying fuck for all I care. Stay out of my territory or you won’t have a sandbox to piss in.”

The younger two seemed to want to say something else, but Billy nodded. “We just wanted to make sure that you heard our piece.”

“I have. Now please leave,” Jared said with authority.

They stood for a minute, but it looked as if they were ready to leave, The looks of the Cub Pack definitely made it look like they should. And soon.

"Don't worry," the youngest one said, having to throw in one more jab. This time, he looked at Jared. "If anything ever goes badly with your ascension, you can always come crawling back to Alec and offer your little ass up. He's always got room in his stables for another bitch."

Jared finally stood up, hulking and menacing.

Jensen was the one who got to the words first and spoke up. "He’s spoken for. If anything happens, he’s mine."

Everyone stopped and looked at Jensen.

Jensen realized the words he said and swallowed the feeling that he was suddenly in over his head. He had meant it as a joke, as a barb, as something you said in a fight.

But those words sounded serious, deadly almost, and as if no one should even think of questioning them. The bond between them was thrumming and everyone could feel it. It was a little too real for Jensen at the moment.

"Yet another reason that you have to be leader of the pack," Misha said, coming in with impeccable timing. He was speaking to Jared, as if he were trying to push away the fact that the Baldwins were still there. "You don’t want Jensen to have to take care of you. He eats vegetables and probably has required reading.”

Jared threw back his head and laughed.

Jared looked up at Jensen, eyes gleaming. For a split second there wasn't open lust and there wasn't fear. There was one second when Jared just looked at him with approval for everything that he was.

Jensen had to bite down on his tongue to keep from touching Jared. The pain stopped his actions, but his head was already there.

This is real, it said.

Jared’s eyes were slits, still looking up at him as they heard the Baldwins leaving.

You’re fucked, it added.

**

Jared disappeared after the meeting.

"Where is he?" Jensen asked the group.

Sophia pushed him in a chair, sat on his lap and made him drink whiskey.

"He's fine," Chad said, with more strain in his voice than Jensen wanted to hear. "He's not doing anything to raise your hackles, and if you seriously think he’s gong to find someone else to fuck right now, well you must have missed the last hour. He and Hartley just have business to take care of."

Jensen went to open his mouth.

"No," Katie said with finality.

"What Katie means," Chad said, speaking up. "Is that he marked you, he trusts you in his life and in his home, and we think you’re going to be around for awhile. So he trusts you and you have to give him a tiny part of that trust back."

Jensen shoved down every piece of pride and just felt his shoulder throb.

"Please," he said meekly. "Tell me what is going on."

The other four people looked at each other, exchanging thoughts.

“What if I want it?” Jensen told them. “I mean now, what if I want it. Maybe it started out as a game, but now… now I wear his mark and for some reason it seems to fit.”

“I win the bet that he was playing us to start with,” Chad said.

“And badly,” Misha added. “If Chad could tell.” 

“Seriously,” Katie said, looking at her nails. “Seriously lame.”

“I’m a bit late, but I’m here,” Jensen said. “You’ve seen me, you’ve seen what I can do, how crazy I can be, but the thing is I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. And all that trust that I have to believe in? Can you all give me a little trust too?”

They looked at each other, and finally it was Misha who gave the nod.

"You heard him," Chad said finally. "What he said about Alec?"

Jensen nodded.

"Jared was fifteen," Sophia said softly. "Alec was magnetic and powerful and Jared hadn't totally gotten his feet under him about people yet. Well, he still doesn’t, that’s why he has us. He just saw this Alpha with a gravitational force of Jupiter and he dove in. Jared has always been pretty great, and Alec thought he was the greatest pet. He just didn't realize that Jared would never be happy like that. He's a leader and when he started to stand up to Alec, Alec hit back, with fists and whips. Jared wasn't tiny then, but he was scrawny. It took two times before Jared ran; only time in his life. He was in over his head, but the Baldwin clan never lets him forget that it was his father who got him out. Never mind that he was fifteen and Alec was well into his thirties, but they like that story."

Rage coursed through Jensen's veins. He knew that given the chance, he would happily kill each and every one of them.

“Tell him the rest,” Misha said, blue eyes like steel on Jensen, daring him to walk out of line.

“No,” Katie said. “Don’t you dare.”

"His brother is in cahoots with Alex," Chad said simply.

"Shut up, Chad," Katie hissed.

"No," Chad said. "Jared’s brother, Jeff, would sell him to Alec in a heartbeat. That’s his dream - Jared submissive and gone. That’s where Jared and Hartley went, to put in a warning to big brother. You asked for this; you asked to be part of this. You were so growly when maybe Jared didn't want you, but you stepped into a war zone. If you want to get fucked then fine, get fucked. At this point I doubt you have to beg anymore, but this is Jared's life and safety on the line. This is his pups, their mothers, his life. This is more than just getting your rocks off. So we need you to fall in line or get the fuck out."

"Chad," Katie growled. "Shut the fuck up."

Jensen looked then, suddenly so tired. "You’ve said enough. I’ve got enough information. Any more, I can get from him.”

They all just looked at him. He felt like he had risen in their esteem.

It was odd.

Misha cleared his throat. “Let’s go home, this place is lame.”

Jensen got up to follow them; he already felt a little empty without Jared.

It was disturbing of how not disturbing it was.

**

Jared sat behind the wheel, Hartley next to him. They both stared straight ahead.

“I drive next time,” Hartley said, fist still around the handle on the door.

“Hey,” Jared said, tone flat. “My father taught me how to drive.”

“And you’ll notice that he hasn’t driven in years,” Hartley said just as tonelessly.

They both looked straight ahead. The headlights were illuminating the grasslands in front of them. There were two black cars, three people in front of them.

They were quiet for a second.

“Tell me why we didn’t bring the girls again,” Hartley asked in a low voice.

“Because bringing my muscle is a sign of war,” Jared answered.

“And bringing me?” Hartley snorted. 

“Is a sign of someone smarter than them to talk them out of it,” Jared replied.

“Good save,” Hartley muttered.

“Are these Chamber’s guys?” Jared asked hopefully.

Hartley shook his head. “Those are Baldwin’s.”

“Fuck,” Jared said, grinding his teeth.

They sat there for a second longer.

“We’re huge guys who can fight really well,” Hartley pointed out.

“Yeah but if we don’t get out of the car soon we are going to look like two scaredy cats who hide behind their women,” Jared said.

“Get your heartbeat down to normal,” Hartley whispered, opening the door.

Jared breathed and then adjusted his voice so it was clear that everyone what he was saying.

“Dude, did you see him, he was half naked, this better be worth it,” he said with a wink at Hartley. “I finally get Ackles and now I have to deal with this squabble.”

“Stop, seriously,” Just said rolling his eyes, going with it. “I don’t want to hear any more about him. Please no more naked Jensen, or powerful Jensen, or the wonderful mind of Jensen.”

“Yes please,” a voice interrupted them as they walked to the front of the car. “Can we not hear any more about Jared’s newest toy?”

Jared looked up at the other three people in the field as if he was just noticing that they were there.

Justin and Jared came to stand in front of the car, hands open at their sides. It was more a human custom of showing that they came in peace, had no weapons. Everyone in the field knew that they all had deadly weapons just under their skins.

“You called this little brother,” Jeff growled. “And you are very very late.”

“You are trying to ruin me,” Jared said with a raised eyebrow. “You can wait.”

“Oh I am?” Jeff said with a laugh.

Jared cocked his head. “You sent the Baldwins to try to humiliate me in front of a potential mate, because you know the second that I mate everything is mine.”

“You are a cocky bastard,” Jeff said dismissively.

“And you are trying to start a civil war!” Jared growled.

Hartley slipped in front of Jared.

“Right now this is all heresy, but I’m sure that if we checked phone records or spoke to the Baldwins we could find confirmation,” Hartley said smoothly. “We are trying to avoid such allegations. As it stands right now you are still in the clear, as you always are, but we have come to warn…”

Jeff interrupted Hartley with a laugh. “Warn me? You overgrown mutts. I don’t listen to you, I don’t follow you Hartley, I listen to my father, never you, never ever you.”

Jared stepped forward angrily, stalking towards his brother. “Dad has said what he wanted. You don’t listen to him, you are fucking ignoring him. He chose me, do you get it? He chose me and you are doing everything in your power to undermind me, to destroy me.”

“And we’re pretty sure there were two attempts on Jared’s life,” Hartley said, not making any move to stop Jared, but his eyes were taking in the men behind Jeff. “They were pretty lame attempts so we’re not really going to hold them against you, they’re kind of sad, we wouldn’t want to embarrass you by making you claim clearly terrible plans.”

Jeff wasn’t listening, he was snarling at Jared.

“You don’t deserve it,” he said, spittle almost coming from his lips.

Jared stood in front of him and smiled, with nothing but venom behind it. “Dad chose me.”

Jeff’s fist flashed forward into Jared’s jaw. Jared had been blindsided by Jensen a day ago, he was too mesmerized by freckles. He had no such distraction with Jeff. 

He blocked Jeff’s punch and quickly retaliated with a punch of his own, knuckles connecting with jaw.

Jeff practically had spittle coming from his lips as his fists slammed forward. He was two inches taller and his arms were quite a bit longer. Jeff’s reach made his offensive attack all the more effective. Jared tried to defend himself so he could get his footing and find an opening.

He blocked where he could, but he took a few of the punches, focused mainly on getting Jeff down. He could ignore the pain from Jeff’s fists as he waited for his opportunity. He was vaguely aware of Hartley taking on the Baldwin’s men. He would only have to worry about Jeff, as always Hartley had his back.

Jared had been fighting with Jeff since he was a kid. He was used to fighting his brother, they had gotten closer in terms of size, but Jared had never caught up, but Jared had learned to improvise.

Jared threw a far punch. He had learned to quickly compensate and get in close where Jeff’s punches held less weight and he was able to get in body shots. He was quick, as a child he had learned his brother’s tickilish spots, now as an adult he knew where his brother’s weak spots were.

Jeff knew his brother’s tricks also. As Jared started pummeling him, Jeff tried to shove Jared away, trying to find an angle that wasn’t awkward, something that could land a blow. He always was learning more ways to defend against his brother, long ago he found out he could never be static when Jared was involved.

He didn’t learn much else, but new ways to one up Jared.

Jeff hand found its way to Jared’s jaw as Jared turned his ribs to bruises. He flinched as he felt one crack under Jared’s care. Jeff’s thumb behind the hinge of Jared’s jaw and pushed with all his strength. The angle was perfect.

Jared’s body reacted on istinct, moving away from the tumb bearing down on his pressure point. Jeff was once again far enough to get his jabs in. Jared fist flew and this time Jeff grabbed it and twisted Jared around, snapping his arm at an awkward angle and then brought his elbow down on the arm.

Jared heard something snap in a joint and a blinding hot flash of pain, but he had too much adreneline going through his system for it to register. His arm was momentarily useless, but he had another arm and two perfectly usable legs.

He swept Jeff to the ground and at that moment reach didn’t matter any more. Jeff was on the ground Jared leaned over him, using the leverage he had to make the point he needed to, with his fists.

Jeff was down, but he still knew enough dirty tricks. Jeff took a sharp jab to Jared’s knee to take him down. Jared was on the ground. His arms went to protect his face and Jeff tore at Jared.

Jared couldn’t see while he was protecting himself. He was going to have to lower his arms, risk letting Jeff box his head if he was going to have any hope.

He lowered his arms and a bloody wolf flew through the air and attacked Jeff. Jared stumbled to his feet.

“Hartley, down,” Jared commanded and the white wolf, backed off. Jared could see that some of the blood marring Hartley-wolf was coming from his face.

The wolf stood between him and the fallen foe.

Jared backed away, holding his injured arm.

“If you don’t desist, back off, you will not have a place in this pack any more,” Jared said with as much authority as he could have. Hartley-wolf seconded the decree with an angry snarl.

They backed up to the car. Jared opened the door and Hartley-wolf jumped into the passenger seat. Jared peeled out.

“Thank god you drive like a real life version of Grand Theft Auto,” Justin said, back in human form, blood spilling from his nose.

“Are you okay?” Jared said, stripping off his shirts and throwing at Hartley.

Hartley was on the passenger side of the car, bleeding profusely into both Jared’s shirt, groaning every time the car his a bump.

“Talk,” Hartley said muffled as blood flowed down his face, . “I need something to focus on.”

“It’s funny, I’ve gotten used to you guys talking,” Jared said quietly, then his words came like water over the falls. “You guys know what I’ll say, so I’ll never have to talk. I trust that the right things will be said and done and that you’ll check in with me. I’ve let you stand up for me for a very long time, not that I couldn’t do it, but just that I wasn’t willing to go all in, not with anything.”

“I think you were pretty in tonight,” Hartley pointed out.

“I still can’t believe that, it was real and it was peace with my fists,” Jared pondered.

“And I took the beating tonight,” Hartley moaned.

“We both did, I have the feeling that this isn’t the last time. I hate this, I hate the fighting, I hate having to do it,” Jared said, taking a turn to quickly and causing Hartley to moan in pain. “Sorry, we’ll get you home to Misha soon I promise. But I hate this so I’ve always just let someone else do it, but I can’t live like this, I can’t live just half in, pretending the other half doesn’t exist. But that time is gone. I’m not a child, I have to grow up and take on all of it. You guys can be my help, but I’ve got to act.”

They rode in silence for a moment.

“Talk more,” Hartley said through clenched teeth.

“I have to do the talking with Jensen,” Jared said quietly.

“Yes,” Hartley gritted out.

“He showed me him,” Jared said. “I can’t stop thinking about him. All though the fight I wanted it to be over so I could find him. This thing, him in my life, it is…but he’s got to see what I’m putting out there, what I have on the line. I can’t fight my nature, I am drawn to him, I wanted him by my side out there, it was like pulling out my heart to walk out the door of the club and leave him for a few hours. I always thought that this was made up, like this was what they told children, that we would feel like this when we were ready when we found the one that we were to mate with. I’m going to show him my everything, I’m going to take him. I want him to know.”

“Good,” Hartley said through the shirts. “Drive faster.”

Jared grinned and pressed down on the gas pedal.

 

**

Jensen woke up in Jared's bed again. The sheets had been changed yesterday by the housekeeper, Kristen. They were now clean and white. 

This time he had showered before bed. The light was barely peeking into the windows when Jared came in. Jared just looked at Jensen.

He had a nasty bruise forming on his cheek and he was cradling his arm.

Jared seemed to be trying to mask surprise at seeing Jensen there, just standing there watching Jensen.

Jensen suddenly worried if sleeping in Jared’s bed without being invited had been a bad idea.

"I need you to drive me," Jared finally said.

"To the hospital?" Jensen asked, trying to clear his sleep clogged brain.

Jared shook his head. "No. They had to take my brother there and right now isn't a good time to be in the same building as him. Misha is taking care of Hartley and everybody else here is useless at this kind of stuff."

"So where do you need to go?" Jensen asked.

Jared stepped towards the bed. Jensen didn't move; he knew he wasn't supposed to. Jared leaned over and nuzzled the mark on Jensen's shoulder.

"I'm trusting you right now. This is me trusting you. I would sit here and wallow in my own pain if I didn't trust you."

"Should I get anything?" Jensen said, proud at how much his voice didn't waver.

Jared quirked his mouth. "Pants would be a good idea."

"Well now I'm not worried," Jensen said. "You must be feeling okay."

"Just hurry, okay?" Jared told him.

They were out the door in ten minutes.

 

PART IV  
**

Jensen thought of a lot of things of where he thought of where they would be going. Jared's houses were a modernistic interpretation of a village out in the middle of nowhere. His offices were gothic. There was something about Jared that made him expect something larger than life: traditional, but slightly quirky.

So when Jared directed him to a sub development on the edge of town, full of cookie cutter duplex houses that had probably been erected over night, Jensen was a little surprised.

They had taken the SUV, which was good, as the Humvee probably would have stood out in this situation.

Jared directed him to one of the duplexes at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Jensen parked and then looked at Jared. "How hard did you hit your head?"

“I’m not the best at explaining,” Jared said with a hesitant smile. “So I’m just going to show.”

Jared’s look was quiet, waiting for Jensen to get his hackles in a bunch.

Jensen just nodded, but the tension was still palpatable.

It was six in the morning, Jared got out of the car, looked at the two doors, and weighed his options. He finally chose the door on the left.

He rang the bell and almost instantly, a tiny brunette answered it, dressed in a silky robe and nightgown.

Jensen instantly glared at her. She only saw Jared at first, her face going to genuine concern and then following with a nod.

"Again?" she asked, moving and motioning for them to come in. It was then that she saw Jensen, her expression first confused and then she inhaled as he passed by and her face broke into the most welcoming grin that Jensen had ever seen in his life.

"I'm Sandy," she said cheerfully, although still in hushed tones.

"Jensen," Jared introduced.

“I know,” she said with a smile that made him a little uncomfortable with what she did know.

"Still here," Jared whispered. "Still hurting."

Sandy led them up the stairs with her finger on her lips. "Be as quiet as possible. Sorry, but Sammarie is still not good about sleeping through the night, and let me tell you, that girl has some lungs on her."

Sandy took Jared to the bathroom and began to clean him up. He sat on the closed toilet and Jensen leaned against the doorframe. From the ease of Sandy's hands, it seemed like she had done this often.

She was almost done when an ungodly human wail went through the house. She jumped.

"Sorry, the kraken has woken," she said, running from the room.

Jensen looked at Jared. He seemed to be very interested in the tiles on the wall. Jensen wanted to ask, but he didn’t quite know the words to say.

Sandy came back with a little child in her arms. She smiled up at Jensen.

"Jensen, this is Sammarie," Sandy said formally, something meaningful was in the exchange, Jensen didn’t know if it was for the child or for him. 

Jensen's gaze drew back to Jared and Jared nodded. "Yeah, mine."

It wasn't that hard to tell once you actually looked. The little thing was looking up at Jensen with those almost almond eyes, hazel green, and when she smiled and dimples came out on her cheeks.

"Hold her?" Sandy asked. "Just while I finish him up."

Sandy adjusted Jensen’s arms to hold the baby girl. She laughed a little at his awkward movements.

Sammarie’s dimples were carved deep in her cheeks and her little hands started reaching for Jensen. She was comfortable despite his feelings on the situation.

Sandy went back to Jared and finishing fixing him up. It was practiced and didn’t seem like anything new.

“You’ve done this before?” Jensen asked, proud of the steadiness of his voice and the proper conversation, trying to find something a little more neutral than Sammarie Padalecki.

She looked at the mark peeking from his shirt. “Yeah, it isn’t a rare thing. You might want to learn.”

Jensen felt like he was the only one who didn’t know where his place was; everyone else seemed to be placing him just fine.

"Mommy?" A little voice came from the doorway. Jensen was glad that he had the baby settled, because the child at the door was shocking. He was skinny, shaggy hair tousled and Jensen didn’t wait to see his eyes before guessing who he belonged to.

"Hey Jagger," Sandy said softly, finishing Jared up. "Did we wake you?"

"Daddy," Jagger said, going closer.

Jared tousled his hair with his good hand. "Hey, little man."

Jensen swallowed. Sandy came up to him and took Sammarie from him as Jared talked to Jagger.

He smile had a little bit of understanding that this wasn’t easy and she also had a ver sweet welcoming smile.

"Don't pass out now, there’s still more to come."

**

Jensen was having trouble sitting in the kitchen as Sandy fed the baby girl and made waffles for Jagger and Jared. Jensen watched, feeling like an outsider as they talked like a family. Not his family; his family had involved caretakers and his mother had never been in the kitchen in their house. Jensen wasn’t sure she knew where to find it. Some days Jensen question if his mother could identify him out of a line up.

This was what he thought a family should be and he had no idea what he was doing in it.

Jared looked over. “How do you take your waffles?”

The question was simple, but the look on Jared’s face was earnest, as if there were a million pieces of Jensen that he wanted to know.

Sandy smiled and placed a plate in front of Jensen.

“More coffee, Jensen?” she asked, smiling sweetly. “Sorry for monopolizing him, but the roof is leaking and he has to choose between the two contractors I’ve had look at it.”

Jensen just looked at the waffles, having no clue how he was going to get them over the lump in his throat.

That was when another woman came in the back door followed by three very young identical children. They congregated around Jared and Jensen was pretty happy to be on the outside of this group. 

Jared sat in the middle of the brood and listened to all of them talk at once. He answered questions and grinned at each one. He put one of the triplets on his lap and laughed at one of the other one telling a basic joke.

"Jagger is seven," Sandy said, with Sammarie on her hip. "The triplets, Jace, Jax, and Jude, major points if you can tell them apart, they even smell the same, are three and Genevieve's and they live next door. Sammarie is four months."

Jensen swallowed.

"And you smell like his sheets," Sandy said with a grin, very obviously overtly hinting.

“Sandy,” Genevieve sighed, coming up with her coffee. “You’ve also been listening to Jared bitch about Jensen since he got here. Stop trying to play coy like he’s a surprise.”

Then she turned to Jensen. “So you’re the one. Maybe.”

“Hey meddling women,” Jared said from his side of the room. “Behave.”

The women just looked at him. He went back to listening to four children at a time, smiling tiredly at them. Sandy turned her sights back on Jensen, but it was Genevieve who spoke first.

"I'm surprised that he trusts you enough to bring you here," Genevieve said.

"Be nice," Sandy commanded. "Jared brought him here."

The bringing of him here seemed to carry some kind of weight that Jensen could only guess about. He just kept quiet.

Genevieve made a face.

"Take Sammarie," Sandy said with a sigh, handing the baby to Genevieve. "Jared looks like he’s about to pass out. I'm going to put him to bed."

Sandy shooed the kids into the living room.

Jared came up to Jensen tiredly. "Can you stay and look out? I'm just so tired."

Jensen didn’t know what to say. “Okay.”

“Sandy can get you a lap top,” Jared said, before turning back to Jensen. “If you want to do work. I know I owe you a lot of explanations and I’m pretty sure that you’ve heard quite a bit already, but, I-“

Something had changed with the claim; there was a tenuous understanding between the two of them. Jensen didn’t expect things to change this easily. If he just said yes the gates were open. The Cub Pack seemed to think that he was going to do a runner at any time, and most of the time he wanted to.

Then Jared would give him a look, and he was riveted. 

He was in this until it was over and there was no use fighting. For the first time in his life, he had been given a place. He was given something without fighting for it; in fact he had been fighting against it.

And this place was open and warm and included waffles.

A few hours ago they were pretty much fucking with their clothes on in the middle of a dark club. Now they were in the middle of Stepford with kids and their moms, and it seemed like Jared was asking permission to sleep.

Jensen couldn’t find purchase on the world spinning around. He was rapidly falling down the rabbit hole.

“Go ahead,” Jensen said, shifting uncomfortably.

Jared gave him a grateful smile and followed Sandy upstairs. Jensen began to drum his fingers on the table.

"Don't worry," Genevieve finally said, giving in a little. "They're not like that, they haven't been for years."

Jensen gave her a withering look and then looked pointedly at Sammarie.

"You've got it bad," Genevieve laughed, her smile was brilliant. "She didn’t give birth to Sammarie. The woman who did wanted Jared, but she wasn’t in the inner circle. She didn’t know. The bitch thought if she got knocked up, Jared would mate her. Stupid cow. We all know Jared isn’t going to mate the mother of his pups, not after how he grew up.”

Jensen thought about his parents, the household that he had grown up in. “It’s a little different here.”

“I guess it would be complicated,” Genevieve said with a shrug.

She didn’t seem to be going on so Jensen stuffed his pride and asked. “What happened in Jared’s family? Where I come from, even if the leaning of the Head Alpha is to the same sex, he still only has one woman and she’s pretty important. You guys seem to be away from the light, and you two haven’t killed each other. It’s just odd.”

Genevieve looked at her coffee, seemingly contemplating what she should share.

“For Jared, his partner would never be a woman,” Genevieve finally said. “Never the mother of his children. He watched his mother be torn in three directions growing up. She couldn’t be mate and mother and her sons seemed to be two factions of their own. Her loyalty was split in three and I think he blames her early death on that. If Jared mates, he wants a partner. He’s selfish in the best way. He also wants kids. He found a way that worked and with the exception of the whore who gave birth to Sammarie, we’re all pretty happy with the arrangement. Jared never actively looked for a mate so we don’t know how someone else will assimilate.”

She looked pointedly at him.

He looked directly back at her. He really wanted to shrug it off, but he could feel his possessiveness, his wanting, his shoulder burning.

“I’m sure he’ll assimilate just fine,” Jensen said just as pointedly. “Just takes a few seconds to get used to.”

Genevieve laughed. "I seriously didn't expect to like you. Katie and Sophia said you were okay, but I didn't expect much."

"Katie likes me?" Jensen asked.

"That’s what you focus on?" Genevieve asked.

"You people and your insults," Jensen said with a shrug. "You know them well?"

"Well kind of," Genevieve said. "I grew up with them. I was the sixth."

"Until you got knocked up?" Jensen asked.

"Yeah," she said with a wide-open grin. “I was just like Sophia and Katie, but something happened, and I wanted more. I talked to Jared for a long time discussing the options. I could look for a mate or he offered me his kids.”

Jensen felt the hairs of his neck go up at the thought.

She grinned again. “Down boy. I’ve got no claim on him besides the kids. He’s never gong to touch Sandy or me again.”

A thought occurred to Jensen. “Have, I mean – the five, do they-”

She raised her eyebrows, obviously knowing what he was trying to say, but enjoying listening to him trying to get it out there.

“We don’t talk about sleeping with the boss,” she said, taking malicious pity on him. 

Jensen pressed his lips together.

Genevieve leaned in and whispered. “You’re in the running for mate, but that doesn’t mean bitch. You can put your own standards on him too. He can say no, but by the mark on his neck, which he totally didn’t have to do, it looks like you stand a chance. Tell him no others. Make that your terms. Pretty much all you have to do to end the Jared-wanderlust is to be his wanderlust. You do like sex right? You don’t mind taking it up the ass?”

Jensen’s jaw dropped and he was sure that his face was scarlet.

“Are you a virgin?” she teased.

Jensen glared at her.

Her grin took on epic proportions, and Jensen just _knew_ he was going to come home to find a dildo, or many dildos, on his bed, because that was the kind of friends Jared had.

“Gen,” Sandy said as she came down, looking at her suspiciously. “What are you doing to him?”

**

Having a discussion about sex and Jared and Jared having sex with the two mothers of his children had been informative, uncomfortable, and embarrassingly erotic.

Finally, after they had stuffed him full of food and also detailed sex facts, Sandy took pity on him.

“Jared said you have work to do,” she said. “He keeps a laptop here. We can set you up in his room so you can do what it is that you need to do.”

Jensen nodded gratefully. It would be nice to have some quiet. He did have quite a bit of work to do. She showed him to a room on the third floor, a big wide-open space with sloping ceilings. In the middle of the room was a huge bed. On the bed was a passed out Jared and snuggled into his side were three little wolf pups.

Sandy looked at them with a smile.

“They just figured out how to change,” she whispered. “They can’t shift easily and it takes a lot out of them and forever for them to go back, but they’re so proud they just wanted to show him.”

Jensen just looked. She pointed to a chair. “There’s the laptop, it’s connected to internet, so you can use it up here or downstairs.

Jensen looked at the sight on the bed and spoke to her softly. “I’m going to stay here, just to make sure that everything is okay.”

She grinned up at him and left him in the very quiet room, the skylight offering the morning light.

He sat down in the white chair and gazed at the pile on the bed. One of the little kids was wobbling; Jared stayed asleep, but a hand found the little one and rubbed him. 

Jensen couldn’t make heads or tails of how this was this was affecting him just as much as the club last night. Dry humping Jared was as big a thrill as being part of this odd little family. And there was no end to how dirty he felt thinking these thoughts in this clean G rated place.

Jensen tore his eyes from the bed to the screen and started to work. He was so focused that while he felt a little presence nearby, it took a while for his fingers to slow, but he didn’t look up after they had stopped typing away. He wasn’t sure of what to do.

“Whatcha doing,” Jagger said, leaning over his shoulder and looking at the screen.

“I’m putting together a buy-sell agreement,” Jensen said carefully.

“What is that?” Jaime said, leaning in even closer to stare at the screen of numbers and words. 

“Um, it’s a binding contract between owners that sets forth when the owners can sell their interest, who can buy an owner's interest, and what price will be paid,” Jensen said automatically.

Jagger’s brow creased.

“I’m helping your dad buy out a company,” Jensen tried.

Jagger peered at the screen like he would easily be able to figure out what was going on by reading the words.

“I’m making rules of how they can sell their property,” Jensen began.

Jensen started to explain, breaking it down. He talked, Jagger asked questions, and it was four hours before he finally looked up.

Jared was watching him when Jensen’s eyes lifted from Jagger and the screen.

Jensen swallowed guiltily.

“Why do you have to put in the rules about spouses?” Jagger was asking.

“Because part of everything is theirs,” Jensen said unthinkingly.

Jared just watched him for a while before he cleared his throat. 

“Daddy,” Jagger said, looking away from Jensen. “Jensen is teaching me how to corporate buyout.”

Jared raised an eyebrow and motioned for Jagger. The boy went to Jared, talking a mile a minute.

Jensen stood up and stretched. He looked at Jared and Jagger and immediately snuck downstairs.

Sandy was putting away dishes, but she turned when he walked in.

“You do this all yourself?” Jensen said before thinking.

“Not as glamorous as you thought?” Sandy asked.

Jensen shrugged. “I might have grown up a little differently. It’s kind of cool to see all this”

She laughed.

“I don’t think you remember, but my aunt mated someone in your pack,” Sandy said. “I’ve seen the house that you grew up in, back when I was a kid. I don’t know if anyone grew up the way that you did.”

Jensen nodded. “Yeah, well, it seems like you have a nice set up here.”

They chatted for a little while longer before Jared finally came down. He looked at Jensen, eyes guarded, before walking to Sandy and kissing her on the forehead.

“We’ve got to go,” he said quietly, eyes back on Jensen.

Sandy looked between them, feeling the static in the air. It was calm, but everyone could see the thunder and lightning rolling in the air.

“Get back to your real life,” Sandy said with a nod to Jared and turned to Jensen. “The boys have soccer on Tuesday. You can bring Jared to the game if you want.”

Jensen nodded, a little numb right now. He picked up the keys on the counter, feeling sluggish and dumb. The air was too heavy, full of so much he couldn’t process. Jared’s hazel eyes seemed to follow him everywhere.

They walked out of the house, and no sooner had the door closed behind them before Jared pulled Jensen to the side of the house. Jared’s hands were in Jensen’s hair, tilting his head, lips descending, crushing his body and his mouth against Jensen; pushing him against the wall.

Jensen just held on to Jared, following the pattern of his tongue. Jensen let out a growl in the back of his throat, but that just encouraged Jared to push him back; to probe deeper into Jensen’s mouth, and for the first time there was no resistance. No pushing.

But Jensen didn’t just let it happen, he responded. He fit in with Jared’s movements, nudging him deeper, pulling him closer. 

They were just so needy and wanting; they couldn’t cling enough of each other, to touch. Something seemed to have changed. They had showed it all and the other person wasn’t backing off an inch. It was actually an attraction.

It was Jared who pulled back. Jensen followed the lips and Jared held him away.

“We need to go home,” Jared said with finality.

Jensen nodded.

They climbed in the car, Jared in the passenger seat, head lolling back, and Jensen driving. The noon day sun shone down; the sky was blue and the ground stretched out in front of them.

“You showed me your underbelly,” Jared finally said, looking at the horizon. “I just showed you mine. When the triplets were born, my dad took me aside. I was doing what I needed to be my dad’s chosen son, but I was going out more than taking the reins. I was still more fuck up than future. My dad told me that my brother was gunning for the spot, and that I had an option. I could keep going was or I could buckle down. Those pups in there are the reason that I have to put it on lock down.”

Jensen searched his mind. “If you lose, the kids are the first to go, then the pack, then the women, but the kids will definitely be on that list.”

“Yes,” Jared replied.

“There is a lot resting on your shoulders,” Jensen said.

“Yeah, but I still really want to fuck you,” Jared admitted. 

Jensen stayed quiet.

“That is the thing,” Jared said. “I think about all the things I want to do to you and all the pressure weighing on me and the things depending on me, but from the first moment I saw you… well, you’re a distraction, Jensen Ackles.”

Jensen made a right turn towards Jared’s compound. “I won’t beg,” 

“But you still need to ask,” Jared told him. “I’m still me and this is still where we meet. You can be whatever you want to be, but I need you to trust my voice. I need you to be willing to be mine. God, I want to fuck you more than ever. I can almost see it and the thing is, I know that you’re going to be prettier sight than I can even imagine in my head. I’m going to ask you to come and you’re going to see stars for years.”

Jensen gripped the wheel tightly and swallowed.

When Jared finally spoke, his voice was low and rough. “But Jensen, you gotta come to me. You’ve gotta ask.”

They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride home.

**

“Fuck,” Jared swore when they pulled up.

Both of the Humvees were in the driveway, but there also was a long black town car.

“Who is it?” Jensen asked.

“My dad,” Jared replied. 

Jensen followed Jared out of the car.

“Jim, good to see you,” Jared said with a smile, flinching a little as he shook hands with Jim.

“If you’ve been a fool, you certainly are paying for it,” Jim said. “Is he in his place?”

“Yes sir,” Jared said stiffly. “For now. Does dad want me?”

Jim shook his head. “I’m here for him.”

Jared looked over his shoulder at Jensen in surprise.

Jensen was calm and blank.

“I...” Jared began.

Jim shook his head. “No kiddo. Your father is asking for an audience with Jensen. Whatever is happening with your brother, you know he won’t go into. The thing that is happening with the Baldwins, he will want to talk to you tomorrow, but right now the pressing thing is Jensen.”

Jared nodded.

“Can I shower?” Jensen asked. “I mean...”

“Get in the car, boy,” Jim said. “I’ve already been waiting three hours.”

Jensen nodded and walked towards the car.

Jared snagged his arm. “I meant everything I said. However we got here, whatever is going on, it’s only me and you in this, you’ve just gotta ask. You have a place here, if you want it.”

Jensen nodded mutely and got in the car.

He leaned back and let his thoughts wander. He could still feel Jared on his lips and a ghost weight pressing on his body. He had absolutely no idea what this was all about.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to find a center.

There was the feeling that he never really had a center.

He kept his eyes shut and tried to focus his breathing. He saw Jared in his mind’s eye. He saw the shaggy hair and the blinding white smile.

He opened his eyes and turned to look back at the compound and all he could think of was the way that Jared described it when he first brought Jensen there.

Home.

**

 

Gerald wasn’t alone when Jensen entered his office.

Sitting in the far chair was Josh, and behind him was Christian Kane.

Jensen walked in and stood by the other chair. He crossed his arms and didn’t say anything.

Gerald sat back in his chair.

“Your brother has come to talk to me about the nature of your stay here in our territory,” Gerald said. “I do appreciate your loyalty to your Alpha by staying without question, and I even more appreciate your brother’s respect of you that you’re more than able to make your own decisions. I would rather force you to mate with my son, I find the match very compatible, however Jared was resistant to the idea. You seemed less than pleased, and there are quite a few issues happening in my territory right now, so if this arrangement isn’t working for you, I feel compelled to let you leave.”

Jensen looked over at his brother.

Josh leaned forward. “I talked to dad. I disagreed with putting you in this situation without speaking to you and without getting the facts. We have checked up closely and there are major faction issues happening here. We don’t want to irratate the situation. I know you can be rather contrary.”

“You are asking me what I want?” Jensen clarified.

He felt his heart beat faster. This was his third offer to leave. This was the third time someone told him that he could be anywhere else. He knew that he wasn’t going to take this offer any more than he took the others.

He was damned. He couldn’t leave, but he was still having trouble submitting to Jared even if he wanted to with every fiber of his being.

Josh leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t jumping at leaving.” Josh observed. “Something changed?”

That was when Josh noticed the mark on Jensen’s neck. It was angry and red. 

“He claimed you,” Josh said with a raised eyebrow.

Jensen nodded. “And I him.”

Josh got a look on his face.

Jensen knew that look, the one that Josh had his entire life. He wasn’t aggressive, but Josh was confident enough that he didn’t have to be. Josh would wait forever, never flinching for an answer, but Josh always seemed to know what you were going to tell him before you ddi.

Jensen turned to Gerald. “Could I have a place here? If I mind my place, can that place have plenty of room?”

“You want a seat at the table,” Gerald said slowly; then he nodded. “If he chooses you. If he gives his say.”

“In the short time I’ve been here, I’m fairly sure that I’ve earned it,” Jensen told him.

Gerald grinned; it was just like his son’s. “From what I’ve heard, son, I’m fairly sure you have. I hardly expected anything less. I can’t speak for Jared, but you have a place here if you want one.”

Josh nodded. “I came here to let your wishes be heard. I just need you be aware that Gerald has confirmed that there is a rift. He has chosen Jared, but more than likely Jeff is going to challenge the claim, with the Baldwins as his backing. If anything happens, we will take your side, but we can’t promise anything.”

“I understand,” Jensen said.

“Jensen,” Josh said softly, standing to move next to him. Whispering in his ear. “If you choose Jared and Jeff comes at you, you won’t survive a regime change.”

“Damn it, Josh,” Jensen hissed. “I know these things, I’m well aware. Not like you were brought up any more knowledgeable than I was.”

“I hear it in your voice, Jensen,” Josh warned. “Can you know in just a matter of days?”

Jensen looked at his brother in the eyes. “Yes.”

Josh nodded. “Well, dad will be pleased. Chris has asked to stay if you do.”

“Josh,” Jensen started to counter.

“His family has guarded ours since our family took over the pack, it is his right to ask,” Josh said. “He asked and Dad and I have accepted. Gerald has no feelings either way.”

Jensen heckled up to protest.

Josh leaned in again. “Those are the terms.”

Jensen set his jaw and leveled his head. “I’ve chosen. You can make all the rules around it you want, all the deals that you want, I don’t care. But you know that I’m going to be here, and the reason you are being so nice is that you know I’ll be the one here. You don’t want to piss me off, because I’m going to be the one with all the deals in the future.”

Josh laughed. “You’ve always been too smart for your own good.”

Then Josh got serious. “You’re my brother, you’re my blood. You’ve always been looking for something and I hope that you find it. I’m always going to be your brother, and I am always going to have your back.”

Jensen grasped him by the back of the neck, foreheads pulled together. 

“You’re my big brother,” Jensen whispered. “You just wait, I’m going to have yours.”

They both lifted their heads and grinned at each other.

“See you, baby brother,” Josh said and looked at Chris. “Thanks man.”

Josh left the room.

Jensen looked at Gerald, suddenly feeling more exposed than when his father had left him here. 

There was silence. Jensen realized he was sitting in front of his new leader. Jensen realized he had just changed packs and this man in front of him very soon would ask for allegiance. This was the father of the mate he hoped to have waiting.

Jensen felt the gravity of the moment. He wondered what Gerald would say.

Finally Gerald spoke. “I don’t know what I did to make my boys end up with their fist in each other’s faces and claws in each other’s backs, but they are. I hope that some of your family rubs off on Jared’s boys.”

Jensen wasn’t expecting that. 

“Welcome to the family, son,” Gerald said, bowing.

“Not quite yet,” Jensen cautioned.

Gerald shrugged. “See you then. Here’s a present to the newest pack member.”

Gerald threw him a set of keys.

Jensen nodded and walked out of the room, and Chris followed without a word.

Jensen turned and looked at Chris. They had been friends on and off since birth. Chris had taught him to throw a punch and how to play guitar. Jensen watched and learned until he was better than most. Chris had been the only one outside of the family who knew Jensen’s wild streak, and was the only person outside of family who had ever had the balls to pull him out of a melee. Chris had been on his detail and his shadow for most of his life.

“You tired of Dallas?” Jensen asked.

Chris gave a little grin. “It just isn’t as much fun without you.”

“Right, you get tired of getting stuck with the flack from my mess?” Jensen replied.

“I like to call it taking credit,” Chris replied.

Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes. They walked in silence for a moment.

“You forget, though,” Chris said after a moment. “You do it all the time, every time you do something that you see as a mistake. You forget that you have people. Josh and me, we made sure your father got an earful that he can’t do that to you. He can’t just put you out for pack alliance. You mean more than that to all of us. Just because you aren’t future pack leader, doesn’t mean you aren’t important.”

Jensen didn’t know what to say to that. Chris stopped and held Jensen’s arm.

“Does little Padalecki see you or does he just see your face?” Chris asked seriously.

Jensen knew at this moment if he said that there was any kind of pity involved in this on either side, Jared taking in the pretty wayward Ackles pup or Jensen feeling like he had no worth other than this, that Chris would take him away from here.

“He saw me,” Jensen said. “He saw me loose control and he showed me him. This is a two way thing.”

Chris looked at him, reading him and after seeing no deception, he nodded. 

“You didn’t have to come, Chris,” Jensen said, voice low. “You can go home. I don’t need somebody to watch my back; everyone here is nice enough.”

Chris studied him. “Jeff Padalecki wants to take over. He is inciting some of the smaller sub-packs to gather forces. You might have your new crew, but you need somebody to guard your back. Plus my greatness is wasted in Dallas, man. You were in an honest to god down and dirty brawl. I heard that and there wasn’t any way I was staying there. This is my shit. No more suits, just beer and my fists.”

“You’re still going to have to wear a suit,” Jensen told him, staring off into space. He hadn’t known how much he had needed someone to watch his back until Chris came. Until his brother told him it was his choice.

It was his choice. 

“Chris,” Jensen said, his voice coming from somewhere far away. “Barring him suddenly changing his mind, it’s going to happen. For real.”

When Jensen looked at Chris, he was grinning. “Good thing you’re pretty, cause you’re real slow sometimes.”

“Hey,” Jensen said indignantly. “He’s the one we used to beat up, and I’m slow because it took me four days?”

“Jensen,” Chris said, his smile superior. “You have never paid more attention or spent more time putting in the effort of ignoring anyone more than you have that kid. I’m not surprised. Well, it is you so I’m completely surprised that you let go enough to see the world.”

Jensen raised an eyebrow.

“You’re being nice,” Jensen noted. “You really want to be here so you can punch people without my dad going ape shit?”

Chris grinned. “You know it.”

Then Chris grabbed the keys and looked towards the garage door. “Dude let’s go see what the new leader/father-in-law had bestowed upon you.”

“I hate you,” Jensen muttered.

Chris grinned. “This is going to be awesome.”

Jensen reached for the door handle and paused.

“I didn’t think you were going to be the one doing this with me,” Jensen sighed, moving to where the car was parked.

Chris raised an eyebrow. “You kidding? Of course I was going to be the one to see you off.”

**

Jensen pulled up in the mint as hell ’67 Chevy Impala.

Chris didn’t move a facial muscle when they pulled up to the compound. That was definitely a feat because the place was magnificent in the setting sun. The windows were shimmering in the light, the dusty Texas land spread out and sloping in all directions.

Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened it, he looked at Jensen with happiness. “Goddamned son, well fucking done.”

Jensen looked up and the Cub Pack was coming out to meet them. They were wearing their off duty clothes, maybe a little drunk, and definitely looking pissed when they laid eyes on Chris.

Jensen just looked at them.

They stood in a line. Hartley in the middle, arms crossed. Chad on his right, scratching his chin. The girls were on the left with their hands on their hips and scowls on their faces. Misha stood a little ways away, always watching, face expressionless. He was actually the creepiest of the bunch.

Chris whistled. “This is my kind of place with that welcome. Real sweet people here.”

Jensen just looked at them. He belonged here. He hadn’t put in the time yet, but he belonged here. His people belonged here. He wasn’t going to cower, unless Jared told him to get out, and he had no reason for thinking anything like that would ever happen.

“This is Chris,” He introduced.

None of them moved.

“He’s staying here,” Jensen added. 

Jensen was suddenly very grateful for his welcome; these five were a scary barrier when they wanted. He wasn’t all that intimated at this point. They wouldn’t touch him. Chris, however, had his hackles up.

“Really?” Hartley asked with a stony look. “And where is he staying? We’re all full up.”

“He’s staying in my house,” Jensen told them.

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “It’s your house now?”

“And where are you staying?” Hartley spat out vilely.

Jensen just looked at him and the group seemed to deflate as they slowly got it.

Jensen stepped forward.

The stood for a second and then one by one, they parted.

Jensen looked at Hartley as he passed. “Try not to be a dick to him. His family guards my family. If I’m staying here, he’s staying here.”

Hartley’s stance almost instantly became more welcoming, he saluted Jensen. “Have fun. We’ll take care of your boy.”

Jensen looked at the path from his foot to Jared’s house as he passed over the stone.

He thought for a second.

His choice. Where his feet went, it was his choice.

He couldn’t get to the front door fast enough.

**

**  
PART V  
**

Jensen opened the door to Jared's house and took off his shoes and socks. He padded to the bedroom to see Jared lying in bed. Tanned skin and white sheets were all he saw. 

Jared opened his eyes the minute that Jensen walked through the doorway. Jared’s eyes tracked Jensen as he slowly moved through the room. Jared didn’t move a muscle, he just watched. Jensen could feel the burn of Jared’s eyes on him, but he looked down.

Jensen’s ego was screaming against submission, but the rest of him was in compliance; the rest of him wanted the taste of Jared, wanted to hold on for purchase and never let go.

He stripped off his shirt. Clad in his jeans, he sunk to his knees besides the bed. Jensen looked up at Jared.

Jared just looked at Jensen, waiting. Jensen knew that Jared had said his piece, it was up to Jensen. Jensen swallowed.

“I can do anything,” Jensen said, green eyes blazing into hazel. “But I have no idea how to stop. I have no idea how to slow down. I have no idea how to do anything but push straight ahead. You said you’d be my tether, be my leash, be the voice I listen to. You said I had to ask, you said that is all I had to do, and so I’m here. I’m asking”

Jared looked at him and in haled slowly, the words echoed between them and then reached out a hand. 

“Get off your knees,” Jared said, shaking his hand. “We’re not going to play it like this.”

“But this is real I want it to be clear that this is real,” Jensen said, biting his lip. 

Jensen looked at him, waiting.

Jared reached for Jensen, sheets slipping down to expose his hipbones.

“You’re mine,” Jared said, his voice rough. “You asked and I’m accepting.”

Jensen shuddered.

Jared reached out a hand, pulling Jensen off his knees. “And you didn’t ask, but it goes both ways. I’ll be your tether, you be my wings. We’re jumping in, eyes wide open.”

Jensen climbed on the bed to kneel on the white sheets. Jared’s eyes raked over him, over the perfect skin, the freckles that were sprinkled everywhere.

Jared swallowed hard.

“No clothes in bed,” he managed.

Jensen reached for his belt.

“God Jensen,” Jared said in awe, reaching out to trace of Jensen’s knuckles. “Is this real?””

Jensen looked down at his buckle, undoing it like it was something that he needed concentration for. He suddenly was nervous.

“I’ve done this,” Jensen said boldly. “But not often.”

He looked up, his eyes blazing with the last shred of defiance, daring Jared to say anything.

Jared leaned in, smelling the scent on Jensen’s skin. It had been a long day between showers and Jensen smelt like he should - he smelt a little like Jared. Jared loved smelling himself on Jensen. He was going to make sure that those two scents were always intertwined.

Jared reached out his tongue and ran it lightly over the muscles on Jensen’s stomach. They shuddered under the barest touch. Jared’s hands skimmed Jensen’s sides, ghosting over skin.

Jensen was virtually untouched. Jensen was giving himself over willingly.

Jared couldn’t get his hands around those facts; his entire body was demanding the claim, the satisfaction. He fought it, because he promised that Jensen would fall apart and the masochistic part of him still wanted Jensen to beg, to want him to be reduced to babble and have his body still beg. He needed Jensen to fall apart first before he could lose his mind.

The wanting that lay under the surface from the moment he saw Jensen all grown up boiled. He had laid a claim and that claim called to him as Jensen still bore his mark.

He wanted it all, he wanted to be mated to this man.

Jared ran his fingers over the top of Jared’s waistband, occasionally dipping between the fabric and Jensen’s skin.

Jared looked up at him in wonder; he splayed his hands over Jensen’s chest and ran them down Jensen’s abdomen.

“Mine, all mine,” Jared said more to himself than to anyone else.

He leaned in and nipped along Jensen’s hipbone. They were smooth and freckled. Jared nipped at the skin there and then he sucked, adding a bit of teeth. Jensen let out a moan.

Jared pulled away and looked at the red spot blooming there. He ran a thumb over it and Jensen leaned into the touch. 

Jared looked up at him. “I’m going to mark you up, so pretty, only where I can see. Every scratch of your pants, ever time you shift, you’re gonna remember me. Every time they fade, I’m gonna make some more; all over the pretty skin and between the freckles.”

Jensen leaned into his touch.

Jared tugged at the waist of Jensen’s jeans, slowly pulling them down. Jensen didn’t move, just watched the progress, and watched as his already hard cock came into view. Jared pulled the pants down past his balls, as far as they would go with Jensen still upright.

He reached a palm over the tip of Jensen’s dick. Jensen stayed still, but he was fighting to stay still. 

There was something heavy in the air between them. It had been between them since the start. It had intensified when they were together, it was magnifying when they were touching.

Jensen looked up, he could see it in Jared’s eyes; the ache and the want for more.

That look was almost enough to make Jensen come. The possessiveness there was almost enough to push him over the edge and Jared was barely touching him.

Jared lifted his palm, wet with precome, he reached his tongue out and tasted Jensen.

Jensen had no more restraint left in him. He pounced onto Jared, hands in his hair, tasting himself on Jared’s tongue. He pushed Jared into bed, touching, tasting, biting earlobes and neck and wherever he could. He didn’t really think about what he was doing, he just needed to be touching.

Jared just matched Jensen. 

He kept himself just enough in control that he made sure Jensen wasn’t getting the friction that he was seeking out. Jensen was writhing and bucking, but Jared wouldn’t give him satisfaction.

“God, you’re mine,” Jensen was babbling. “All of this is fucking mine.”

His mouth descended on the expanse of Jared’s shoulder, he bit down sucking and biting and the word mine echoing in the back of his throat, vibrating over Jared’s skin. 

Jared’s eyes rolled back into his head, letting Jensen rut against him for a second, feeling the hard length of him rubbing next to his own dick. Jensen was falling to pieces on top of him and Jared had never felt anything so raw. He could feel the wolf under Jensen’s skin raging, wanting to come out.

Jensen’s wolf called to the animal in his soul.

Jared breathed in and moved Jensen around, taking control of the moment and of the hurricane. Jensen was still on his shoulder, nuzzling into the spot of his claim.

Jared pulled himself away and looked into Jensen’s hazy green eyes.

“I’m yours,” Jared said and Jensen whispered and tried to stay still. He tried not to seek out Jared, but it was a losing battle.

“Please,” Jensen whispered. “I need..I mean, I can’t…”

Jared reached down and wrapped one large hand around Jensen’s shaft.

“This what you want, baby?” Jared whispered, stroking with almost enough pressure.

“Please,” Jensen begged.

Jared gave him three long strokes and Jensen was coming, his breath coming in gasps. Jared held him, speaking low in his ear and Jensen shook through it.

“You’re so pretty when you come apart,” Jared whispered, “so fucking pretty, need me so much don’t you.”

“Yes,” Jensen said breathlessly. “Need you so much.”

“Still?” Jared asked, teasing, hand moving to Jensen’s thighs.

“More,” Jensen said. He babbled on, partially incoherent.

Jensen was still out of his mind. Jared shifted a little, pressing Jensen down, indicating for him to be still. Jared looked down at the body bonelessly sprawled out on his white sheets.

He was absolutely going to eat Jensen up.

“Lay still, moan like a porn star, but do not move a muscle,” Jared commanded.

Jensen whimpered, but his muscles went taut, trying to obey.

Jared touched and bit his way over Jensen’s chest, over the muscles there that rippled with the urge to seek him out. Every time he took his mouth off of Jensen’s skin, Jensen would let out a frustrated sound, and every time he went back, Jensen let out a little happy noise.

When Jared got to Jensen’s inner thighs, he was half hard again, back arched with the attempt to suppress his urge to move.

Jared spread Jensen’s legs and Jensen’s head shot up.

“What are you doing?” Jensen asked, suddenly very shocked.

Jared just bit and sucked a little more, pushing Jensen up, exposing his tight ring of muscles.

“You can’t—“ 

Whatever he thought Jared couldn’t do was cut off as Jared’s tongue lapped out, tasting the tip, the noises that Jensen made weren’t demanding any more, they were velvet want. 

Jared smiled at he moved deeper. He had finally made Jensen lose it. Jensen wasn’t trying to control anything anymore; he was completely lost to the moment.

Jensen tasted hot and dark.

Jared loved this, feeling Jensen totally gone, totally focused on it. Jared pushed his tongue through the muscle, and he nearly lost his mind himself. Jensen was so hot and tight.

Jared lost himself for a bit, mouth eating away, causing those noises from Jensen. He licked up and sucked Jensen’s ball into his mouth, a finger finding a way into Jensen’s tight ass. Jensen was so gone, so far gone, bucking down on his finger, seeking more and deeper.

He grabbed blindly for the lube in the nightstand. He managed to open it and pour some on his fingers.

Jared rested his cheek on the bruise forming on Jensen’s hip and tried to breathe as he added another finger into Jensen, scissoring the fingers, knowing that he couldn’t take much more. He wanted to push Jensen further and higher, but he was getting close himself. This wasn’t going to be very much longer. There was too much between them.

Jared moved up towards Jensen’s ear.

“Do you want me?” Jared asked.

Knowing full well that Jensen was too far gone to answer, his body still trying to be still and straining at the same time, but at Jared’s words, the muscles in his ass clamped down.

Jared laughed hoarsely, trying to find his control. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“God,” Jared said. “I want you so fucking much. I need to be in you and I need you to fall apart, and I’m going to claim you and you are going to be mine.”

“Please,” Jensen choked out.

Jared buried his face in a pillow, fingers slowing in Jensen. He had to get it together

“God, there is going to be time later for more, for longer. I’m just going to take you, I can’t take this any more,” Jared said, fumbling.

Jensen was mumbling, trying to behave, trying to listen to Jared, but they both could barely handle it any more.

“You’re driving me nuts,” Jared whispered.

“Do it,” Jensen said, bucking on his fingers. He had to be loose enough because Jared couldn’t take it any more.

He positioned himself and entered as slowly as he could. It didn’t matter though because Jensen was urging him on, legs and arms and everything just pushing. Jared’s face was buried in Jensen's shoulder as he entered him. Jensen was hot and tight and just about heaven.

Jared didn’t have words any more, didn’t have anything, and couldn’t think about anything except the feeling that Jensen was.

He wrapped his hand around Jensen’s dick.

“Mine,” Jared said. Driving his dick into Jensen, pumping Jensen’s cock.

He came inside, biting down on Jensen’s collarbone, as Jensen came all around him. Jared came with everything so raw and so much. He came with the top of his head flying off.

**

It was two days before Jensen and Jared's animal instincts were abated enough to let their human brain return. 

For the two days they couldn't stop, the room was destroyed. The lube was gone, and they were in the shower trying to ease aching muscles, everything almost too sore to touch even though they couldn't stop. 

What was between them was vibrating, they could feel emotions that mirrored back and doubled and intensified. Every time they pulled away, it physically hurt. It was better now, but it was still so much.

Jared was on his knees and Jensen was making little noises of appreciation. He came again, not even knowing how it was still possible. Mating was intense, but nobody had told them it was anything like this. 

Jared stood up, arms resting over Jensen's head. Their bodies were close, not touching, just breaths mingling. 

"Does it stop?" Jensen asked, back against the wall, eyes closed. "The wanting?" 

"If it doesn't, we’re screwed," Jared said tiredly. "With how much I want you, it is going to kill me. I didn't think I could want you more. What a surprise, ‘cause every second makes it more." 

Jensen let out a laugh. "Soap, we need soap, and then we need so much food. Then more." 

Jared leaned into Jensen's neck. Jensen didn't just smell like Jensen anymore, not under the soap. Jensen smelled like him, but not just him. Jensen smelt like them. That was something that was driving Jared crazy. Absolutely crazy.

"This isn't going to be easy," Jared said with mock concern. “They’re all out there, and there is no way they don’t know what we’re doing.” 

"Well, if we don't eat I think we're going to die," Jensen said practically. "And to be honest, I'm pretty sure my ass needs a break." 

Jared moaned at the many memories of Jensen's ass. 

"God, I love your ass," Jared muttered. 

Jensen put both his hands on Jared's chest and pushed him away. He was grinning.

Jensen got out of the shower and toweled off before going into Jared's room. He dropped the towel and Jared’s much beloved ass wiggling all the way.

“Tease,” Jared called after him.

“Hardly,” Jensen said as Jared came up behind him. They looked at their handiwwork.

The room was destroyed. The bed frame had long ago given way and the mattress and box spring were askew. Blankets and pillows were thrown around the room. Pictures on the walls were at odd angles and both bedside lamps were shattered, one beyond repair. Two alpha males fucking in a room for two days had the tendency to do that. 

"I need clothes," Jensen said, almost as an afterthought. 

"Pity," Jared said, looking away from the chaos of the room and at his handiwork all over Jensen's body. He had placed his mark on Jensen's shoulder and added reminders on the rest of his body. 

Jensen grinned. "Want me to go out like this, show everybody all of me?" 

Jared growled and stomped to his wardrobe. With little thought he rummaged through his drawers, and threw board shorts and a t-shirt at Jensen, going back for a set for himself. 

Jensen laughed and put on the clothes, every part of him aching in the best way, still feeling Jared all over and in him. 

"Food," Jared said, going for the door. He stopped and grabbed Jensen. He leaned into the nape of Jensen’s neck. Jensen smelt like soap and them.

“Jared,” Jensen said through clenched teeth. “If you don’t let me go we are going to never leave this room and your friends are going to find us naked and they’re probably going to sharpie us and take pictures before making us better.”

Jared seemed to think it through before forcing himself out the door.

They walked out to the setting sun. Music was playing low and there was the smell of meat cooking on the grill. The sun was shining high in the sky and there was humidity in the air. Everything felt slow and lazy and comfortable.

Jensen and Jared blinked, eyes adjusting to the fading light of day. Slowly into view came the patio where everybody seemed to be relaxing.

Katie, Chris, and Misha were playing poker at one table. Chad and Sophia were fighting at the grill. Hartley was looking intently at a laptop and talking on his phone.

Their world had changed in an instant, like a flip of the magnet. Instead of fighting, they were drawn together and the world made sense to them, this little circle seemed different, the world seemed different. 

And yet nothing at all had seemed to change.

They stood close to each other, watching their inner circle.

Sophia noticed them first and smiled, but everybody else glanced their way and went back to what they were doing.

“I’m under whelmed by their reaction to us mating,” Jared pouted. “This is a big deal.”

Jensen shrugged. “I like it, just getting a few minutes of normal, like they expected this all along. That’s better than anything else yet.”

Jared smiled a little at him. “Well, I can’t promise you normal will happen ever again, so go and enjoy it.”

Jensen and Jared looked at each other and it was a close thing that they didn’t run back into the house for sex.

Sophia picked up her cell phone and walked over to them. "Welcome back pack leader and mate, all respect and hallowedness, but you aren't allowed back in your house for a few hours. I'm calling Kristen, housekeeper extraordinaire and maybe even house dictator, to clean it. Seriously, it's smelled like sex on the compound since yesterday." 

She gave them a look.

The both of them shrugged, looked at each other, and broke out into huge smiles. 

“I don’t know which is more nauseous,” Sophia said with a sigh. “The atrocious smell or the looks between you two.”

Jared grinned. 

“Stop it,” Sophia chastised, trying not to smile. 

“You love me,” Jared said happily.

“I’m loyal when my leader is in weakened distracted spaces,” Sophia said, crossing her arms.

Jensen was so far into blushing he looked like he was sunburned.

"Lookie, lookie," Chad said, coming up and throwing a lazy arm around Sophia, one that she shook off. He was looking straight at the marks on Jared; the exposed skin bore scratch marks and teeth bites. At one point, Jensen tried to claim every inch of skin. "Not only does puppy have a good set of lungs, but he's got a bite." 

Jensen glared at him. "I will punch you in the face." 

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Fun." 

"Come and get food," Misha yelled. 

Jared and Jensen rushed as fast as they were able to the grill. Jared shot a glance at the poker table. 

"What is going on there?" he asked. 

"The most intense game of poker with the stoniest faced people in the world," Chad informed Jared, giving him a hamburger. Jared pretty much swallowed it whole. “Don’t play with them unless you plan on losing everything you have.”

"I meant, who is the guy?" Jared said between bites of his second burger. "And why is he on my compound?" 

"That's Chris," Jensen replied, biting into the burger Misha gave him.

Jared was inhaling a hot dog and raised his eyebrow in the motion for ‘go ahead’. 

Sophia took pity on him. "He comes with your new pretty pretty princess. I think that’s Jensen's bodyguard, cause you know he's so delicate." 

Jared paused from his precious food to glare at Chris. Jensen nudged him with his shoulder. 

Then he turned to Sophia. "I'm also going to punch you in the face." 

She tisked. 

She motioned to the chairs on the patio. "I'm amazed that someone who got laid and had as many orgasms as you have can be so cranky. It must be the lack of nutrition. Sit. Eat." 

Jensen looked at the chair and cringed. 

"Let's sit on the chaise," Jared said, noting Jensen's reaction. 

Everyone laughed. 

"So many faces to punch," Jensen muttered.

Jared was still looking warily at Chris.

Jensen nudged him. “His family is my family’s guard.”

Jared bristled. “You don’t need a guard. You have us if for some reason that you can’t do it on your own.”

“He’s also my best friend and is jealous of the action here,” Jensen added. “The fighting, he’s a real good one to have in a fight. My brother wants to make sure that if things go down he’s here.”

Jared looked skeptical and possessive.

Jensen grinned at him. “I am yours.”

They didn’t notice everyone on the compound looking at them. They were lost in a world of their own.

Jared traced a thumb over the mark on Jensen’s shoulder.

Chad threw a water balloon at them.

“Down boys keep it in your pants for an hour okay,” Chad told them. “Seriously we have been listening to you for four days. Have pity on us.”

Jared reluctantly removed his hand.

But Jensen moved closer to him.

**

“And then he totally ate most of it,” Chad said and everyone laughed except Jared.

Chris had a small smile on his face. “I thought y’all would be more badass. From the rumors, you’re supposed to be bigger than the sun and badder than the devil. Like I said, this is all a little sad.”

Chad puffed up his chest to defend their group, but Hartley stood up, the joviality gone out of him, his posture changed.

Chris’ eyes followed him. “No need to prove it, man.”

“Incoming,” Hartley said, looking at the horizon.

Misha and Katie put down their plates and stood up.

Jared moved to sit upright.

A car came into view at the horizon. Jensen was a little more impressed with Jared. Nobody could sneak up on them here. This was the first car that Jensen had seen coming. Miles away the car was clearly visible, driving like a bat out of hell. The position here gave the group at the compound plenty of time to assess any potential threats that could be arriving.

“That doesn’t look like a casual stroll,” Jensen said.

The air was tense and the humidity became unbearable.

“It’s gotta be Genevieve,” Sophia said softly. 

Jared stood up and looked at the car. “What the fuck? She knows that she isn’t supposed to be anywhere near here—“

He trailed off. 

Chris stood up and cracked his knuckles.

“Somebody wanna fill in the new guy?” Chris asked. “Might help me throw the right punches.”

Everyone was focused on the horizon, watching the car. The car was about ten minutes out, seven with the way that the car was driving.

“Genevieve was one of us,” Chad said.

“Dear sweet monolouging Chad,” Katie muttered.

“She’s mother to some of his kids,” Chad continued.

Chris looked over at Jensen. Jensen nodded that everything was okay.

“I keep them away,” Jared said, his eyes tracking the car. “I keep them safe, until I sort out all this succession stuff. Until they are old enough to be okay. They don’t come here.”

All of them heard the finality. Nobody was going to say anything else, about the reason that would bring her here. The only reason they would come to the compound is if they were unsafe in the real world.

“Is she being followed?” Misha asked, looking for a shirt. He found one and threw a wife beater to Hartley.

Chris looked at them incredulously.

Misha shrugged. “She’s a mom of our leader’s pups. We show respect. Clothes and manners.”

Chris looked again at Jensen. Jensen just shrugged.

“So not what I was expecting,” Chris muttered.

They watched. 

“We can behave when we need to,” Misha said.

“Yeah but we can fuck shit up still,” Chad said.

None of them were really paying attention to what they were saying. They were talking to fill the moments until the car was close enough that they could assess.

Jared moved first as the car came up the drive. Jared was at a full sprint, Jensen at his heels followed by the rest of the crew.

The night had come on, things were dark. They car stopped, headlights blinding even their wolf eyesight.

Jared threw open the door, and Sandy was at the wheel, both hands still on it. She was breathing hard but otherwise she wasn’t moving. 

“Sandy?” Jared said, shocked. “I didn’t even know you knew where this place was.”

“I told her,” Genevieve said from the passenger seat, her hand holding a towel to her stomach. They could all smell the blood and it looked like she wasn’t doing well.

Jared’s face went white.

“Where are the kids?” Jensen said, peering into the back seat.

Genevieve nodded to the back and tried to sound brave. “The little ones shifted. I think they broke Jace’s leg. Jagger’s keeping them calm.” Jensen looked back and saw Jagger cuddling with his brothers who were a mass of fur, whining low.

“Where is Sammarie?” Jensen asked immediately.

Genevieve and Sandy didn’t react to the question. Jared looked like he was ready to tear the door of the hinges. Jensen could feel it through the bond.

Sandy finally looked up. “They took her.”

Jared looked at her, hurt in his eyes.

“You gave her to me to protect and when they came, they took her,” Sandy said, crying. “They took her back there, they said I grew up there, it was good enough for my daughter too.”

“No Sandy,” Jared said reaching for her. 

Her brown eyes were almost stunned with fear and grief, “I’m so sorry, Jared. You gave her to me and they just took her. I let them take her there. You have to let me go get her. I promise I can take care of her. I am her mother, please let me.”

Jared pulled her out of the car and to his chest. “You are her mother. You helped keep the other ones safe, you can come, you will go get your daughter.. She will never grow up in that place.”

Sandy was sobbing.

Jared looked up and reached for the car for support, his own hands shaking.

“Is my house clean?” he asked Sophia.

She nodded.

“Take them in,” Jared said, tucking Sandy under his arm, he looked at Jensen, just for a second. In that exchange there was everything, there was trust, there was permission.

“Misha, can you fix it?” Jared said at Misha who was already looking at Genevieve’s wounds.

“Yeah,” Misha said.

“Missed you, Misha,” Genevieve said, patting him on the head.

“You didn’t have to get all cut up to come visit,” Misha said, picking her up. She groaned.

Jared looked helplessly at the back of the car.

“I’ve got them,” Jensen said quietly. He had never pictured himself with kids, but that picture of himself had already been chased from his head.

Jensen went to the back door and opened it up.

“Hey, little man,” he said to Jagger.

Jagger looked at him with wide eyes. 

Jensen leaned down and petted one of the pups, gently soothing the young.

“They’re scared,” Jensen said, his voice and eyes soft. “I need you to help me take them inside.”

“They hurt Jace’s leg,” Jagger said in a voice that was trying to be brave, but he gave a wobbly smile that looked like it was gong to break at any second. “He was real tough. He shifted and bit down on the guy that had Sammarie.”

Then Jagger looked down. “They took her.”

“Hey,” Jensen said softly. “Look at me.”

Jagger looked up and Jensen went on smoothly. “Your mom and your dad are going to go get him back. We’re going to fix Gen, everything is going to be taken care of, you all are safe now, your family is going to be safe. But I’m going to need you to help me.”

Jagger cocked his head and sniffed. His eyes held an awareness far too old for his age. “Are you my family?”

Jensen nodded, the weight of what he signed up for all around him. He had walked into Jared’s war, it was his too. He rolled his shoulders, fitting it into himself. It wasn’t just Jared’s war any more, all of this was his too. 

Jagger gave a small smile and gently nudged one of the little wolf cubs.

“Can you take Jace?” Jagger asked, handing over the most important thing in the world to him right now.

Jensen smiled at him and took the pup as gently that he could.

“Bring your brothers,” Jensen said softly. “They need you now.”

Jagger smiled and puffed up a little. “I’ll take care of Jax and Jude.”

Jensen took little Jace-pup and looked back at Jared who was surrounded by Katie and Hartley, all on their phones. Jensen turned and followed Sophia into the house as she helped Jagger get the puppies inside.

Misha had Genevieve-wolf sprawled out on the kitchen table, and he was washing his hands. She was whimpering and Misha put a soothing hand on her. “She was always gorgeous like this.”

Jensen felt a little weird about seeing something that he shouldn’t. He didn’t know what was going on, but the air was laden with it.

“She is a smart cookie,” Misha said. “She changed automatically. She wants this healed as soon as possible, but the change nearly killed her.”

There was a small smile on his face.

He walked over to Jensen and whispered in his ear.

“I’ve gotta stitch her up,” Misha said. “Tell him that she is going to be fine, but it was definitely wolf.”

Jensen nodded.

He went into the bedroom that hours ago had been a mess. An hour ago, he couldn’t imagine not touching Jared.

And then life had driven up the road and it had become more than just their libidos.

Sophia was sitting with Sandy on the bed, their heads together, and Sandy was talking low. Jensen had only met her once, but she was smile and sunshine then. Minutes ago she had been almost hysterical. But something had changed, she had found some resolve and now there was a ferocity about her.

Now she was a momma wolf who had been threatened.

She looked at Sophia, determined.

When Jensen walked in, she looked at Jace.

“Come here, baby boy,” she said to Jace and opened her arms.

Jensen put him in her arms.

“I need you to stay like this, sweetheart,” Sandy whispered. “Your leg will knit faster.”

The pup burrowed into her arms.

“I know it hurts, Jace,” Sandy told him. “But I need you to be strong. We’re going to take care of you. Your mommy is okay and you will be okay. You’re going to stay here with your brothers. Jagger is going to take care of you and we’re going to go get your sister.”

Jensen saw steel underneath her exterior. He had forgotten amongst the domesticity that she was a wolf. She wasn’t an Alpha, but she had a ferocity about her. Mothers were fierce when their cubs were harmed. Jensen’s mother for all her flaws was vicious when her sons were slighted. She was a force on the PTA, but Sandy seemed to be made of rougher stuff. She was bristling under her skin.

He had no doubt that her child would be back in her arms.

Jensen left Sandy to talk to her boys, and he squeezed Jagger’s shoulder on the way out.

The cub pack was sitting in the living room around Jared, except Chris. He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Jensen saw what this was. They were outsiders at this moment.

Jared looked up the moment that Jensen entered the room. He got up, but everyone else didn’t even look up, it was obvious that they were ignoring him. Jared motioned for Jensen to follow him, going into the study.

Jared closed the door and backed Jensen against it. Jared inhaled deeply, breath in and out, some of the tension fading from his body.

“My father always said that if I mated, it was mine,” Jared said in a whisper. “I told him, very politely, to fuck himself. He said he’d hold onto the reins, and he’d probably give them to me. He didn’t want me to do this alone. He didn’t want me to be lead astray by one pretty thing after another.”

Jared pulled back, eyes hard and searching. 

“I found something, I found that thing that he always wanted for me,” Jared said. “The Baldwins and my brother thought they had a chance, maybe they did, but I met you and my father approves, so the pack is mine. Instead of celebrating, instead of fucking ourselves silly, we have to deal with the rest of my life.”

“I know what I signed up for,” Jensen said firmly. “There is a whole world of chaos and I’m in this. You chose me, I chose you, it doesn’t make much sense, but we are.”

“My daddy always said that when you know, you know, and I knew when I saw you. I know what I need to be and I know what you are,” Jared said softly. 

Jensen’s hand went to the back of Jared’s neck; their eyes remained locked as Jensen leaked some of his strength into Jared.

“They took my little girl,” Jared managed to get out, anger boiling under the surface so hot Jensen wondered how he didn’t get burned. “The Baldwins got my brother to undermine me, to say I’m soft. They got my cunt of a fuck to claim the child she gave birth to. They’re going to take my little girl and they’re going to do what they did to Sandy, what they tried to do to me. Alec is a sadistic fuck and he wants to take anything that is mine because I won’t-“

Jared grit his teeth together. Jensen tightened his grip on Jared’s neck and didn’t look away.

“He’s a sadistic fuck,” Jared said, rage bubbling our around the edges. 

They stayed eye to eye, until Jared got himself under control. When he spoke again, his voice was cold and full of rage.

“I’m going to burn his den to the ground,” Jared spat out. “I’m going to dig my teeth into his neck and not let go until his blood stops pumping. I’m going to clear out his territory and exile my brother. I’m going to unleash Sandy on that bitch who dared to think that she was any kind of a mother. Everything is going to crash down on the Baldwins and I’m going to bring it to them.”

Jared looked at him, finally calm. His look asked where Jensen was gonna be. 

As if there were any choice.

Jensen grinned. “Gonna let me off my leash?”

Jared nodded. “The only one you have to listen to is me, but besides that, rip it all apart. Whatever you want. I trust you. But in the end I need to know that I won’t have to take my eyes off the goal to coral you. I need to know that you will listen.”

“Your voice, your words, I will,” Jensen said.

“Then you can have anything you want, any thing is yours,” Jared said grimly.

“I want the brothers,” Jensen said immediately. 

“All three?” Jared asked.

“I’m an overachiever,” Jensen replied.

Jared gave a twisted smile. “I really think you belong here.”

Jensen just smiled.

Jared leaned in again, lips ghosting over Jensen’s shoulder. Then he moved and they walked into the living room. This time all eyes were on them, on Jensen and Jared walking in. Chris saw them and finally came into the room. Nobody said anything; they all just sat down in the living room and looked at Jared.

“This is how it is going to happen.”

He spoke with calm. He spoke with confidence. He spoke like a leader.

**

When the sun set, the thunderclouds had begun to gather.

Two big heavy SUVs had driven up the drive.

Gerald got out of the passenger side of one of them.

Jared went out to meet him.

Gerald shook his head and lit a cigar. “I can send in the cavalry.”

Jared stood his ground in front of his father. “This is my fight, this is my succession and my ass that is at the center of this. I will be the one that ends it, one way or another. I’m never going to be more than the good for nothing party child who talked his way into the leader’s spot any other way.”

Gerald looked at him with pride.

“And the young Ackles?” Gerald asked.

“Mated,” Jared said.

“Good boy,” Gerald said. “I like that one. I promised him a seat at the table to take you.”

Jared grinned. “I promised him a hell of a lot more.”

Gerald laughed.

But that feeling of happiness was a fleeting moment.

“If, if something happens to me and Alec keeps him, I need you to make sure that it doesn’t happen,” Jared said, tears and anger in his eyes. “Nobody should have to deal with that. What Alec will do to Jensen out of spite will be horrific.”

“Jensen is safe,” Gerald promised.

“Take the kids and Genevieve to the elders,” Jared said. “Sophia is going to come with you. Gen is like a sister to her, I need one of my people there. Keep them safe.”

Gerald raised an eyebrow.

Jared swallowed. “Please.”

Gerald nodded. “I’m putting the word out. Jeff is dead to us.”

Jared remained stony faced.

“And if he gets dead, it isn’t a thing,” Gerald added.

Jared nodded.

Gerald looked at him. “Son, I want to send in the cavalry on this one. I don’t want to let you do it alone, but I know that there comes a time when I’ve got to let you go in it alone., If you come back, then you are the leader of this pack. If you don’t, you are still the son I’ve raised. You are my only son, so watch your back, trust your people, and return to me in one piece because I love your sister, but I think you’d do a better job.”

Jared nodded.

“Bring them out,” Jared yelled to the house.

Hartley came out with Jax and Jude, little brunette boys with their father’s eyes, in his arms. Jensen followed with Jace, still a puppy in his arms, Jagger by his side. Misha was carrying a larger wolf, Sophia by their side. Chris, Chad, Sandy and Katie stayed by the door.

Hartley bowed his head in acknowledgement to Gerald, before putting the boys into one of the cars. Jensen put the wolf-pup in the car too.

Misha put Genevieve in the other car. Sophia smiled at Jared.

“She needs somebody,” Sophia said, tears in her eyes. 

Jared nodded.

Sophia threw her arms around Jared and whispered in his ear. “Come back, make sure all of them do. I can’t stand the idea of not being family again because I sat this one out.”

“I love you, Soph,” Jared said, putting a strand of hair behind her ear. “Take care of them. They’re my heart.”

Sophia looked over at Jensen who was talking to Jagger, giving him final instructions.

“We’re all your heart,” Sophia said. “You’ve got a heart as big as the Texas sky, that’s why we love you. I’ll see you when you get back”

Jared nodded, and everyone came back from the cars. Gerald got into the one with the kids.

He paused for a moment and looked back.

“I’m real proud of you, son,” Gerald said, then he looked at where Jensen was at his right side. Gerald gave a nod to Jensen. “Welcome to the family, son.”

**

The rain started when they were halfway there. Eight wolves running into the enemies’ den. Two of the wolves had packs on their backs, the ran like the devil was on their heels.

They changed when they got to the door with the exception of the two wolves with packs on their backs. Chad and Jensen quickly took the packs off and Misha-wolf and Hartley-wolf changed. They grabbed the bags and looked around at the structure of their compound. 

They stood in the woodshed and looked at each other, the plans had been made and the adrenaline, but they took a second to look at each other. To gather their strength.

“Scent out your marks,” Jared finally commanded to Sandy and Katie, and then looked at Misha and Hartley. “ Set the charges. Don’t blow it until there is absolute confirmation.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, boss,” Hartley said with a nod.

Jared reached out a hand and squeezed Jensen’s shoulder before grabbing a robe out of one of the bags and draping her in it.

“Go get our girl, you of everybody know best, I trust that you will do everything in your power to get her out of here,” Jared said softly.

She nodded and pulled up the hood.

Jared looked at Hartley who was still a bit battered from the fight with Jeff and Misha. They had been blowing things up since they had figured out things could go boom. They had gotten more sophisticated over time. Jared knew without a doubt that they would set the explosives to level this place.

He looked at the team that would accompany him. It was four of them and that was risky, but he just had to give Justin and Misha time to work their magic. This place had to burn. Killing the Baldwins was optional, but he hoped very inevitable.

He was going to make his mark tonight. He was going to roar and usher in his own era.

“Go,” Jared growled. 

Sandy and Katie took off one way. Jensen, Chad, and Chris went the other way.

Misha and Hartley stood there, buck naked, carrying duffle bags full of explosives.

“Let’s burn this mother down,” Hartley said.

Misha grinned. “Fun.”

**

Sandy stood before the tower. It was a roughly constructed wooden five-story building. Katie still remained naked, but Sandy’s tiny form was hidden under the brown robe, hood drawn up.

She looked at the structure, her brown eyes luminous and the only part of her visible.

"That is where you stayed?" Katie said quietly.

Sandy nodded almost imperceptivity.

They stood in the rain, mud pooling at their feet.

“Four years,” Sandy said, her voice far away.

"Jared wanted me to remind you that you were safe the moment that he got you out of here, you have been free from this place as long as he has been," Katie said with more emotion than her voice ever held. "And when you two decided to have Jagger you became untouchable by anyone, you are mother of an heir, you are backed by the pack."

Sandy didn't move.

"And on a really fucking personal note," Katie added, venom lacing her voice. "If Gerald hadn't strongly enforced a change in Alec’s policies of young pretty things in this to I would have torn this place down board by board. Nobody should treat anyone like what went on here. Nobody will ever be treated like that again in this territory. Sophia and I have ferreted out any of this sick crap. I’m not just here because you are Jagger’s mother, or under Jared’s protection, I’m here to make sure nothing happens to you because what did happen to you makes me ill."

Sandy looked over at Katie, Sandy was suddenly as hard as nails. Katie reached out and touched her arm.

"You are safe," Katie said with absolute certainty. "I have your back."

Sandy couldn't smile, but her eyes came alive.

"Thank you," she said in a horse whisper. "I can do this. My little girl is in there."

Katie looked at her with pride.

"Go get her, momma," Katie told her. "I have your back."

**

Jared changed at the door of the main house. It was a log cabin, and looked as if it was thrown together, much like most of the ramshackle buildings in the area.

Jared looked at the door for a long second. He swallowed and then looked over at Jensen who looked up at him. Their gazes held for a long moment.

Everyone felt it; this was the moment that they would make it or they wouldn’t. This was the moment that they grew up. This was their moment.

The side of Jensen’s mouth slid into a grin. Jared smirked back at him.

“This is our world,” Jensen said evenly. “This is ours.”

Jared nodded and reached for the door. He was calm, confident, and smooth. He walked through the door, tall and proud.

Jensen, Chris, and Chad followed.

The room was lit by a huge hearth on the far end of the room. 

The cub pack just stood there, calmly looking, waiting for everyone to notice them.

Dane, Vin, Chambers, and Jeff were sitting at a long table, drinking from heavy cups, and playing cards. They stood up upon the entrance of the intruders.

On the opposite side of the room stood the middle brothers, Billy and Daniel. 

Everyone looked towards the fire where Alec sat in a high backed wooden chair. He didn’t stir, just looked with appraising eyes at the four new people in his house.

“I get Alec,” Jared said coldly, to the empty room.

“And your brother?” Chris asked, though none of them graced Jeff with a glance.

“What brother?” Jared replied. “He isn’t even good enough to kill. Mar as much as you like, but he is exiled. Let him live with that. Living with the ultimate shame is worse than any kind of death.”

Jeff slunk in the corners, fading into the shadows.

Jared looked straight ahead, knowing his men were looking in all the directions. Calculating. He knew he only had one thing he needed to do.

Finally, Alec acknowledged him.

“Oh look,” Alec said, deep voice rumbling. “The wet puppy comes back all naked to beg.”

Jared lifted his head, wet ropes of hair hanging in his face. He looked feral. 

“You crossed the line. You knowingly kidnapped the child of the heir,” Jared said in a low firm voice. The timbre echoed off all the walls.

Jensen’s eyes flicked to him. Tall, regal, standing tall in the flickering firelight.

“She came willingly with her mother,” Alec said with a smirk.

Jared let a beat fall between the words. Jensen admired how he held the world in the palm of his hand before going on. How he waited. How Alec was almost fidgeting in expectation of a response.

“Her mother is right now tearing into the bitch that bore her,” Jared said very slowly. “Her mother is going to take her home.

Alec stood up and looked at Jared, naked. His eyes lingered on the long limbs, marks from Jensen’s mouth all over him, Jared didn’t flinch, every inch of him was stunning and claimed by Jensen.

Alec didn’t have any claim, if he attempted to Jensen would be well within his rights to tear Alec limb from limb.

“You grew up real pretty,” Alec said with a nasty leer.

Jensen cocked his head before he spoke as the mate, anger beneath the surface. He was keeping it together, but he was ready to rip this man apart. But he had promised Jared that one thing, that Alec was his, so Jensen stayed.

“Yeah he did,” Jensen spat, ready to jump at Alec the moment Jared gave any kind of say.

Alec looked over at Jensen. “Lovely marks that he put on you. I taught him that you know.”

Jensen seethed, he was ready to break every promise that he had made Jared just a few hours ago. 

He was saved by Chad.

“Oh for the love of fucking Christ,” Chad said. “You beat the shit out of him. Those marks all over Jensen were made with a lot of good noises. Do you want me to make you a chart? You know one that describes good touching and bad touching. You’re an idiot.”

Jared let an dark grin cross his face, feeling a bit of relief at Chad’s interjection. He began to speak. It was his first decree, it was the first time he was going to say something on his own, something that he proclaimed that would be, and anyone who wished to fight it would put their life on the line.

Jared felt a surge run through him, “Your territory is forfeit. I am claiming it in the name of my sons, of my daughter. All that belongs to you is to be held in escrow until they come of age.”

Alec nodded and took a sip of his bourbon. He put down the glass.

“You’re gonna have to pry it from my cold dead hands,” he told them.

Chris cracked his knuckles. “Oh thank god. I thought I was going to die of boredom.”

**

The wind whipped up and mingled with its whistles were screams and yells from the den.

Some cared, and others stayed away, waiting to see the outcome.  
**

Katie and Sandy followed the scent of the baby. They slipped stealthily up the stairs. They didn’t really need to be stealthy. The house was full of grunts and moans. It seemed the occupants of the room were a little distracted.

They walked into the bedroom to see Sammarie in the crib on one side of the room and a writhing mess on a bed on the other side.

Sandy was a little ball of rage. She clenched her fists, disgusted and ready.

“Lookie,” Katie said dryly. “A whore fucking. How shocking.”

The two bodies on the bed stopped.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Stephen said angrily, head popping up from under the blanket.

Sandy breathed to calm herself and went over to the crib and picked up Sammarie who buried her head in Sandy’s neck. Sandy made comforting noises as she rocked the girl, soothing her.

She ignored the two people in the bed, just making sure that Sammarie was okay. She murmured that it was okay, holding on to her daughter. Katie stood watch, ensuring that nobody moved.

It was a minute before Sandy turned to the rest of the room.

Sandy kissed the top of Sammarie’s head and then passed her to Katie.

The maternal posture was gone. She looked at the other two people in the room as if they were the dirt on the bottom of her shoe. 

“You gave me that little girl,” Sandy said, stepping forward. “You couldn’t get what you wanted from Jared so you left her with me. She was mine and then you sell her out to get some kind of prestige by fucking the fourth son at a second rate trash pack.”

Lauren looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Like you’re so much better. You live for his crumbs without even asking for better.”

Sandy bared her teeth. “I treasured, I have everything. You are trash. I wouldn’t trust you to borrow my shoes. I would never ever trust you with a child, and it never crossed his mind either. Never.”

Lauren snorted. 

“I’m taking my daughter back,” Sand said with deadly certainty.

“Doubtful,” Lauren said standing up, a head taller.

Sandy grinned. “I was hoping that you would say that.” 

She wolfed out.

 

**

“Hi,” Jensen said to Billy and Daniel. “I’m going to kick your asses.”

They looked at each other.

“You? Just you?” Daniel asked.

He grinned at them, baring his teeth before attacking. 

**

“You came here to drink?” Chris asked, taking on three of the Baldwin’s men and Jeff while Chad watched.

One lunged forward and Chris took him down. Another came on only to be met with a hard elbow in the larynx. Chris was fighting, in his element. He was mocking Chad, but he really didn’t want anyone to help him out at the moment. It had been so long since he had been involved in something so visceral. So real.

Part of him was more than okay with Chad sitting at the long table, helping himself to the cistern of wine, and propping his feet up.

“I came to watch Jared’s back, maybe by proxy Jensen’s, but probably not,” Chad said, looking over at where Jensen was more than holding his own. “This is some good wine. Besides, you have two partial cripples and Jeff is a wuss who ran away, so that kind of only leaves Dane and you just have to feint to his face and he goes down.”

Dane glared at Chad. Chris made a threatening face at him and Dane jumped back.

Chris laughed. “Kind of funny there, man.”

Chad kept an eye out on Jared. He sat up as Alec pulled out a cat-o-nine tails. “Fucker.”

“Yeah,” Chris said. “Keep an eye on him, these guys aren’t any problem.”

**  
“Remember this?” Alec said, brandishing the whip fondly. “You would be bad so often because you loved it so much.”

Jared swallowed.

He was taller than Alec now. He was broader. 

He had never realized that before.

He wasn’t the boy who Alec had known. He was a grown up now. He could feel Jensen’s anger. His rage. He could feel the punches that Jensen landed. He could feel the crazy.

Jared realized that he wasn’t just fighting for his life; that would be easy enough. He was fighting for the whole thing. He was fighting for a future with Jensen, he was fighting for his children, he was fighting for the most loyal friends anyone could ever ask for.

Jared looked at the whip that had torn him to shreds back when he thought that he didn’t have any kind of say in life; back when he was helpless.

And he smiled.

He cocked his head towards Jensen who was doing a great job of taking on both of the younger Baldwin brothers.

“My mate,” Jared said with pride, let every bit of awe that he felt about Jensen creep into his voice, just the name in this horrific place gave him chills. “He doesn’t know how to stop. He will fight it until he kills them or he is dead. Let me tell you that it isn’t going to be him who goes down and I’m not going to say a word to stop him. Right now you’re watching yourself lose your inner circle. I’m going to let you watch and then I’m going to tear your throat out so you never hurt anyone ever again.”

Alec’s eyes registered a little bit of uncertainty, but he maintained his composure and tipped his glass to Jared. 

“What a way to go.”

**

“You’ve gotta get up,” Chris said, looking at the door. “Looks like big brother called for reinforcements.”

In the door were a few big burly men; overgrown mutts who looked like they could pack quite a punch. Jeff was nowhere to be seen.

Chad looked at the door and cracked his neck. “That yellow dog better run far and fast, ‘cause I’m going to break his many bones next time I see him.”

“Can you break the bones in front of you first or do you need help?” Chris asked.

“Well if you’re done with the two cripples and the pretty boy I think it might be nice if you help me with these eight,” Chad said evenly. “I’m good, but not that good.”

“I’m that good,” Chris informed him.

“Congratufluckinglations,” Chad said. “I hope that the bodyguard can do better than the errand boy. Now get over here.”

**

Alec flicked the whip.

It hit Jared, but he didn’t call out.

**

Jensen was being held by Daniel and pummeled by Billy. He looked almost like he was laying in the sun.

Finally, he flipped Daniel over his head on top of Billy. He kicked Billy in the face, wishing he had shoes.

Then he went down and put his hands around Daniel’s neck.

He looked over at Jared dancing with Alec. Alec flicked the whip, marking Jared’s skin.

He twisted Daniel’s neck and moved to Billy.

**

Jared looked over at the newcomers. Chris was doing a great job of keeping them off, but the odds weren’t great.

Jensen came over wiping his hands on a scrap that had been Billy’s when he had been alive.

“Stay,” Jared said low.

Jensen planted his feet, but looked ready to spring.

“If you need someone to help you I understand” Alec asked in his most patronizing voice. “Are you getting scared? All you have to do is submit and I’ll pull off all my dogs and you’ll spend the rest of your life screaming.”

“Don’t you know, Alec?” Jared asked scornfully.

“Know what, little one?” Alec answered with a raised eyebrow.

“I have everything. I have loyalty and love. I have the territory,” Jared told him.

“How touching,” Alec replied.

“I am going to take everything that is yours in the next four minutes,” Jared retorted. “Including your breath.”

Jared looked at Alec and grinned.

For the first time in his life he saw Alec visibly shaken, realizing that perhaps this time wasn’t going to go in his favor.

Then Jared wolfed out.

**

They walked out of the main building minutes later. Chad’s nose was busted and bleeding while Chris looked untouched. Jensen’s hair was in every direction, but the only marks on his body, besides red, were the marks that Jared had left. Jared was wild, his mouth was covered in blood, and the rain began to wash it off as they walked across the lot, blood dripping down his chest.

The rest of the crew were waiting by some vans.

“We’re stealing these,” Hartley told them. “We can’t carry the baby in the rain.

“It’s done?” Jared asked.

“Everyone is cleared out,” Hartley acknowledged. “In there?”

“Dead,” Jared said with finality.

“Let’s go and blow this place,” Hartley said.

Jared looked at Jensen, could feel the hunger the antsy ness in the connection. They needed some things. They need to get something out before they could go home, and they both knew it. They both were in sync now.

“We’re running,” Jared said, rolling his shoulders. “Meet you at the compound. Call dad, I want the kids there tonight.”

Jared changed and ran, Jensen on his heels.

**

The rain poured down as lightning streaked through the sky. Jensen followed on Jared’s heels, having no idea where he was, but not caring. He was going to follow Jared wherever he was going.

Jared shifted and kept running, bare feet on the ground. Jensen caught up to him and tackled him.

Jared’s hands pulled Jensen’s mouth to his and used it as his lifeline, hands pulling Jensen’s hard body to his.

Jared rolled him over.

“I know you’re sore, baby,” Jared said, biting along Jensen’s shoulder. “Please, I need —“

“Fuck me,” Jensen said, bucking up into him. They were both running on adrenaline and hard as shit, so it wasn’t going to take long. It wasn’t about satisfaction, but rather it was about need.

Jensen was slick with water and sweat, still loose from earlier. He still hissed at the burn of being full of Jared. He was sore, but the need was more than pain.

The noises that they made were wild, purely animal as they clung together. The lightning and the thunder rumbled the earth beneath them.

And in the distance, the Baldwin’s den burned to the ground.

**

Daylight came and Jensen and Jared walked back into Jared’s home.

Chad was cleaning out the pool, picking up the debris and tree limbs that had been thrown around.

Upon seeing them, Chad let out a whistle. Everyone came pouring out of the houses.

Jared saw Sandy carrying Sammarie and he ran to her and held the girl close. 

Sophia came out with clothes for the both of them and Jensen began to pull on the shorts.

“Hey baby girl,” Jared was saying to the little thing in his arms.

“Be careful, daddy,” Katie advised. “You’re getting her dirty.”

“I don’t care,” Jared said, a real smile crossing his face.

Hartley was the last to arrive, hanging up his phone as he came onto the patio.

“What’s the word?” Jared asked him.

Hartley fiddled with his phone. Jared turned towards Jensen, exchanging a glance. It wasn’t anything that they didn’t know was coming. In fact they had been waiting for this. This is what their fight had been for. To prove that they belonged. 

Jared stood tall. Jensen stood next him. Sammarie slept soundly in Jared’s arms, safe. The crew stood around, waiting for the pronouncement of what they knew to be inevitable.

“Your dad didn’t come back,” Hartley said. 

“He stayed with the elders,” Jared said quietly.

“Yeah,” Hartley said softly.

“Yeah,” Jared said.

Jensen looked up at him. “What does that mean?”

“I’m Lead Alpha. It’s all mine now,” Jared said. Raising an eyebrow, he turned towards Jensen. “You with me?”

“You and me,” Jensen told him. “We’re in this until we’re done.”

Jared grinned. “And it starts. Today, life started.”

They grinned at each other manically.

**

“Where the fuck is he?” Hartley asked as he paced across the floor.

“He’s at Jagger’s game,” Jensen said, hunched over a computer.

Chad had an odd smile on his face. “He’s keeping the leaders of the other packs waiting for a random soccer game.”

“You all are almost a disappointment,” Chris said from the corner, yawning.

“Two weeks ago we did some damage to a rival pack,” Jensen pointed out.

Chris looked pointedly at the picture on Jensen’s desk. Jagger had drawn it. It was in marker and had a picture of Jensen at a computer with blood dripping off his mouth.

Jensen looked uncomfortable. “I couldn’t hurt his feelings.”

“I would like to point out that the triplets like to play Chris,” Sophia said with a laugh. “They like to fight really fast and then stand with their arms crossed.”

“Yeah, I’m totally offended that I’m the least favorite father,” Jared announced as he breezed in. “The new guys come in and steal my son’s affections. Where is my suit?”

Everybody in the room stood up straight when Jared walked in. They were his people, but they were still getting used to the fact that he was elevated to leader of the pack, not just their merry band. The pack had sworn allegiance and he was being recognized by the leaders of the other Texas packs that afternoon. Out of a long born instinct they showed him more than due respect.

“Seriously, that will never stop freaking me out, so can you please stop doing that?” Jared asked as Misha handed him his dry cleaning.

Misha shrugged. “Get used to it, boss.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll always remember how you used to cry when you dropped your ice cream,” Chad placated.

“I love me some ice cream,” Jared sighed.

Jared shucked his shirt and reached for his pants.

Everybody halted.

“Boss,” Katie said from the corner. “You’re making us all real uncomfortable.”

Jared paused and raised an eyebrow. “This is nothing I haven’t done a million times.”

They all looked at each other.

Finally it was Misha who spoke. “Yeah, we’re weirded out by the fact that we suddenly are all a cult-like following too. Can we just give you reports while you are half naked and then go and greet the delegations while you finish?”

Jared fiddled with his belt buckle, an impish smile on his face.

“The additions to the compound are going nicely,” Chad said quickly. “You will have your house back from the women and children in two weeks. Which is good because Misha and Chris sharing a house is weird and Hartley freaks if I leave the television on. He’s such a pain in the ass.”

Hartley’s jaw dropped. “You leave Real Housewives of some goddamned city on at full blast at three am. Give me a break!”

“Let’s see if we can move up the building schedule,” Jared said with a laugh. 

Hartley rolled his yes. “All deals are running, and I think Jensen is maybe using roofies on some of the clients because they should not be going through as smoothly as they were, but things are well under control and our Q3 profits are going to knock your socks off.”

“You having sex with them to get deals done?” Jared asked Jensen with faux seriousness.

“I think you’d know,” Jensen said, looking back down at the monitor. “I don’t know where I’d find the time, I’m always about five feet from you.”

“We have run off all of Baldwin’s and Chamber’s men into the ether,” Katie said with a smile. “They’re running scared.”

Jared just smiled. “Good girl.”

“Internal pack morale is good,” Sophia added. “We’re going to have to add some things that we are going to have to put up for judgment, but it’s only minor things. I can show you a list, but most of it is pretty intuitive.”

“I trust you,” Jared said. “Just bring me the worrisome ones.”

He turned and looked at Misha. “And the word on the street?”

“You are well beloved,” Misha said. “Everybody was worried that Jeff would take over.”

Jared raised a questioning eyebrow.

“No word,” Misha added. “None at all. Big brother is running very scared.”

Jared looked down at his belt buckle.

“We’ll take care of it when we can,” Jensen said softly from the desk. “Nothing to worry about now.”

Jared ground his teeth. 

“I’ve had three ruckuses to deal with,” Chris interrupted with a smile. “I think people understand what I’m all about now.”

“I hope you don’t look like you enjoy it that much when you are with them,” Jared snorted.

“No sir,” Chris said with a little mocking. “I’m serious and scary.”

Jared snorted again. “Okay, all people who are bothered by me disrobing, get out. I have ten minutes to change and meet with the other leaders.”

Everyone stood up quickly.

“Seriously, guys,” Jared said as they started to file out. “You have seen me naked plenty.”

Chad turned around. “Yeah, but now you are the leader of the area and Jensen gets all growly. We’d rather not.”

Jared turned around and Jensen was leaning back, hands behind his head, looking completely unaffected.

“Growly?” Jared asked.

“Mine,” Jensen told him simply.

Jared rolled his eyes and took off his jeans and reached for his suit.

“You have anything to say?” Jared asked, buttoning up his shirt.

“Nice view,” Jensen offered.

Jensen was just watching.

“Yeah, cause you are so just the piece of arm candy.” Jared laughed. “Nothing has happened in the last two weeks without you having your fingers in it; I’m kind of impressed. I’m thinking that I’m going to sit back and just let everybody else handle everything.”

Jensen stood up. “Your fingers have been right next to mine. You didn’t need this little download. You have your transition on lock down.”

Jensen picked up the tie and put it around Jared’s neck. 

“I’m nervous,” Jared admitted quietly. “I’m suddenly allowed at the adults table.”

“My father is there,” Jensen told him. “Josh gave word this morning. Everything is going to go great. None of them are going to challenge you.”

Jared bit his lip. “I’m twenty six; most of them have been doing this longer than I’ve been alive.”

Jensen cupped Jared’s face. “They all started somewhere.”

Jared nodded. “Goddamn. This is the big time.”

Jensen smiled. “Buck up, I mated you because you were going to be important.”

“Liar,” Jared said with a smile.

Jensen’s answering smile showed just how untrue his statement had been.

“So if it’s too big, we can always run away,” Jensen said with a half smile. “Leave the territory, take the money, and live in some sunny locale.”

“Sounds like fun,” Jared said with a bit of interest.

“Yeah, but we worked pretty hard to get here. Be a pity to waste it,” Jensen pointed out.

Jared nodded. “Fair enough.”

He took a step back, held out his arms, and slowly rotated in a circle.

“How do I look?” Jared asked, nervousness sliding under his cool exterior.

Jensen looked at his mate, every stitch perfectly in place, nothing amiss that he was nervous or half an hour ago he was cheering on seven year olds on the soccer field.

He was the young leader of one of the most prominent packs in the western hemisphere.

Jensen smiled. “Like a leader.”


End file.
